iroT 


HISTOET 


OF  THE 


GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN 


June  20  and  21,  1877. 


BY 


RUSSELL    H.   CONWELL,- 

■,*■ 
AUTHOR  OF  "  HISTORY  OF  THE  GREAT  FIRE  IX  EOSTOX,"  "  LIFE  OV 
PRESIDENT  HAYES,"    "WOMAN  AND  THE  LAW,"   "WHY 
A>T>  HOW  THE  CHINESE  EMIGRATE,"  ETC. 


"Hre,  commissioned  by  tlie  winds, 
Begins  on  sheds,  br.t,  rolling  in  a  round. 
On  palaces  returns." 


BOSTON:      • 

PUBLISHED  BY  B.  B.  RUSSELL,  55  CORNHILL. 

SAINT  JOHN,  N.B.:  JONES  &  MORRISON. 
TORONTO:   MIGHT  &  TAYLOR. 

1877. 


-2.on 


139990 


COPTKIGHT 

By  B.  B.  RUSSELL. 

1S77. 


TO  THE 


HON.  SAMUEL  LEONARD  TILLEY,  C.B„ 

LmUTSHrAXT-QOVERNOR  OF  THE  PBOVWCB 
OF  NEW  BRUNSWICK, 

THB  FRIEND  OF  HUMAJniY  EVERYWHEBE,  ANI.  AN  ACTIVB  PBO- 

MOTEB  OF  ALI,  LEGITIMATE   MEASURES  FOB 

THE   RELIEF  OF  SAINT  JOHN, 

IS  MOST  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 

« 

BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


PBEFAOE. 


It  is  a  hideous  story  at  the  best,  full  of  the  very 
saddest  events  and  the  most  exciting  scenes.  The 
contemplation  of  that  disastrous  evening,  that  lurid 
night,  .that  pile  of  spectral  ruins,  makes  us  hesitate 
to  dip  the  pen ;  yet  it  should  be  written.  The 
history  of  the  terrible  scourge,  with  all  its  frightful 
details,  should  be  preserved  in  historical  form,  to 
hand  its  lessons  down  to  other  generations,  to  show 
that  the  active  sympathy  of  the  civilized  world  was 
not  misplaced,  and  to  immortalize  the  good  and 
brave  deeds  of  that  noble  people  to  whose  homes 
this  awful  visitation  came.  R.  H.  C. 

0 


"J-  -*''  » 


AOKl^rOWLEDaMENTS. 


The  most  sincere  thanks  of  the  author  are  due  to 
the  gentlemen  named  below,  who  so  kindly,  at  such 
personal  sacrifice,  furnished  us  with  facts  concerning 
the  great  fire,  and  contributed  so  much  to  make  our 
stay  in  the  afflicted  city  comfortable,  profitable,  and 
pleasant.  It  is  a  pleasure  as  well  as  a  duty  to  write 
about  such  a  people  ;  and  we  tremble  lest  we  shall 
fail  to  make  a  suitable  return  herein  for  the  uni- 
versal hospitality  of  every  man  we  met  in  St.  John. 
To  him  whose  fortunes  we  mainly  follow  in  the 
opening  chapters  of  this  book,  we  may  owe  an 
apology  for  making  so  free  with  his  narrative ;  and 
while  we  have  tried,  to  disguise  it  by  adding  inci- 
dents, which,  while  each  one  related  actually  hap- 
pened, he  perhaps  did  not  see,  yet  doubtless  many  in 
St.  John  will  recognize  the  actor.* 

Our  thanks  are  tendered  to  Mr.  John  Boyd,  E. 

7  .  _.-^_^ 


8  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 

Lester  Peters,  James  W.  Lawrence,  John  E.  Turn- 
bull,  James  Hannay,  Thomas  S.  Simms,  Messrs. 
Jones  and  Morrison,  Frank  C.  Smith,  Thomas  Mar- 
ter,  Matthew  Lindsay,  and  the  Rev.  W.  Mitchell. 


#" 


ILLUSTEATIONS. 


Steel  Plate  (Portraits  of  Lieut.-Gov.  Tilley,  Mayor  S.  Z. 

Earle,  and  John  Boyd)       ....        Frontispiece. 

View  of  St.  John  before  the  Fiee 23 

St.  Johjt  in  Flasies 58 

Plan  of  St.  Jonx 81 

Academy  of  Music. — Victoria  Hotel  ....      153 
View  op  Kuins  (Prince  William  Street  and  Victoria  Tlotel)    .  173 
North  Wharf  and  Market  Square  (in  ruins).  — Mar- 
ket Square  (before  the  fire)        ,       .       .        ,       .      212 
Reed's  Point. — Post  Office 230 

Skating  BiNK.— Beacon  Light       .       •       •       .       .     270 

9    ^ 


CONTENTS. 


• 


PA.GB 

CHAPTER  L 

A  HOME  Df  SAINT  JOHN. 

House  on  Queen's  Square. — The  Inside  of  a  Merchant's  Resi- 
dence. —  Furniture  and  Keepsakes. — Prophecy  of  the  Old 
Indian.  —  Forebodings  of  cojiing  Disaster       .       .       .       .17 


CHAPTER  n. 

THE  BEGINJONa  OF  THE  FIBK. 

York  Point  Slip.  —The  Fire  Departmeat.  —The  Progress  of  the 
Flames.  —  Scenes  of  Excitement.  —  Burning  of  Dwellings 
and  Warehouses.  —  Destruction  of  Vessels. — Strange  Be- 
havior of  I'anic-stricken  Ones 27 


CHAPTER  m. 

BUKKINa  HOMES. 

Caught  by  the  Flames.  —  Running  the  Gaunclet  of  Fire.  — Burn- 
ing of  the  Dead. — The  Ruins  of  a  Home. — Searching;  for 
lioved  Ones.  —  Surrounded  by  Fire.  —  Queen's  Square . 

U 


12  CONTENTS. 

PAGB 

CHAPTER  IV. 

INCEDEXTS  OF  THE  FlitE. 

The  Culmination  of  the  Destruction.  — Death  by  Fire.  —  A  Life, 
or  a  Dwelling?  —  Saving  a  Handful  of  "Wood,  —  Losing  Gold 
Sovereigns.  — Birth  of  Children  amid  the  Flames  and  on  the 
Bay.  —  Escape  by  Eaf t.  —  The  Scene  from  Ballast  Wharf     .    60 

CHAPTER  V. 

IN  THE  VICINITY  OF  KEN'O'S  SQUAEE. 

The  stationary  Vehicle.  —  The  Merchandise  in  King's  Square. 

—  Appearance  of  the  Refugees.  — The  Old  Burying-Ground. 

—  The  Shelterless  Ones.  —  Removal  to  New  Homes       ,       ,    CO 

CHAPTER  VI, 

THE  TEOPLE  BEFORE  THE  FIRE. 

The  Metropolis  of  New  Brunswick.  —  Character  of  its  Founders. 

—  Culture  of  the  People.  — Public  and  Private  Enterprise.  — 
Public  Buildings,  Commerce,  Manufacturing,  &c.  .        .       .71 

CHAPTER  VH 

THE  CITY  BEFORE  THE  FIRE. 

The  Situation  of  the  City.  —The  Dwellings.  —  The  Public  Build- 
ings. —  The  Churches.  —  The  Environs.  —  The  Scenery.  — 
The  Harbor.  —  The  Business  Enterprises 76 

CHAPTER  VIIL 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN. 

From  1604  to  1775.  —Discovery  by  the  French.  —Fort  La  Tour. 

—  Contest  between  La  Tour  and   Charnisay.  —  Grant   of 


CONTENTS.  13 

PAGB 

Lands.  —  Indian  "Wars. — Pirates.  —  Expeditions  from  Boa- 
ton. — "War  between  the  English  and  French.  —  Naval  En- 
gagements. —  Capture  of  i  ort  La  Tour.  —  Erection  of  a 
Blockhouse SO 


CHAPTER  IX. 

HISTORICAIi  SKETCH  OP  SAINT  JOHN. 

From  1774  to  1874. — Establishment  of  Government. — "War  be- 
tween the  Colonies  and  Great  Britain.  —  Indian  "Warfare.  — 
The  Opening  of  Trade.  —  Landing  of  the  Loyalists.  —  Great 
Fires  in  Saint  John.  —  First  Church. — First  Newspaper. — 
Visits  from  Distinguished  Persons.  —  "War  with  Fraace. — 
"War  of  1812.  —  Facts  and  Incidents  of  Ilecent  History  .        .  105 

CHAPTER  X.  ' 

'  THE  GREAT  FIRE.  ^ 

The  Origin  unknown.  — The  Sudden  Appearance  of  the  Flames. 
—  The  Spread  of  the  Calamity.  —  The  Fire  Department. —  ; 
The  Streets  and  "Wharves  destroyed. — The  Public  Build- 
ings.  —  The  Shipping.  —  The  Churches.  —  Explosions,  Deaths, 
Accidents,  &c 146 

j;-ffi-v^:  v.^l  -     CHAPTER  XL  '  V-: '^  ■  ^-;  ■.- ;    • 

SCENES  ATTENDING  THE  CONFLAGEATION". 

Similarity  to  the  Fire  in  London. —The  Description  of  that 
Calamity  applied  to  this.  —  Scenes  of  Confusion.  —  Acts  of 
Heroism. — Effect  of  the  Fire  upon  Men's  Natural  Disposi- 
tions. —  Thieves.  — Deaths  by  Fire.  —  Sheltering  a  HomeleiS 
I'eople.  —  All  Things  common 16C 


14  CONTENTS. 

rAQM 

CHAPTER  Xn. 

AFTBB  THB  FIBS. 

The  Ruins.  —  Obliteration  of  Streets.  —  Appearance  of  the 
Squares.  — Exodus  of  the  People.  — Establishment  of  Busi- 
ness Quarters.— Absencse  of  Food.  —  Danger  of  Starvation.  175 

CHAPTER  Xin. 

EXTENT  OF  THB  CALAT  ITT. 

Estimated  Loss.  —  Great  Extent  of  the  Destruction  in  Propor- 
tion to  the  Size  of  the  City.  —  Names  of  the  Owners  of 
Buildings.  —  Names  of  Occupants.  —  Business  Firms  burned 
out.  —  Roster  of  Losers  by  Streets.  —  The  Effect  on  the 
"Working  Classes.  —  Summary  of  the  Property  destroyed     .  179 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  DEAD  AND  WOUNDED. 

The  Number  of  Deaths  unknown.  —  Eighteen  suddenly  killed. 
—  Deaths  in  the  Hospital.  —  Mention  of  Individual  Cases.  — 
Accidental  Burning. — The  List  of  the  Injured.  —  The  De- 
pendent Families  .       .  217 

CHAPTER  XV. 

PUBLIC  BUHiDINGS  AND  SHIPPINO. 

Description  of  the  Public  Buildings.  —  Trinity  Church.  -^  Ger- 
main-street Baptist  Church.  —  Other  Church  Edifices  de- 
stroyed. —  City  Hall. —  The  Custom  House. —  The  Post 
Office. —  Public  Halls.— Academy  of  Music— Temperance 
Halls.  —  Masonic  Hall.  —  Hotels.  —  Gas  Works.  —  Shipping 
destroyed 223 


CONTENTS.  l6 

PAOB 

CHAPTER  XVL  *       :  . 

*  PBIKNDS  IN  NEED.       ^ 

First  Assurances  of  Help.  — The  Liberality  of  the  People.  — 
Telegrams  from  Cities  in  America  and  Europe.  —  Ketuming 
Past  Kindnesses.  —  The  Behavior  of  the  Recipients.  —  List 
of  Contributors.  —  The  Amounts  given  and  received.  — 
How  Chicago,  Boston,  and  London  responded. — Other  Cities 
and  Towns 242 


CHAPTER  XVn. 

ADMUOSTRATION  OF  RELIEF. 

The  First  Distribution.  —  The  Random  Applications.  —  The 
Danger  from  Impostors.  —  The  First  Organization.  —  In- 
effectiveness of  Original  Plan.  —  The  Great  Number  of 
Applicants.  —  How  they  were  supplied.  —The  Introduction 
of  the  Chicago  System.  —  The  New  Committee  — The  Tents 
and  Barracks. — Independent  Shanties.  —  How  Assistance 
could  be  obtained .       . 268 


CHAPTER  XVHL 


BEBUTLDiya  THE  CITT. 


Character  of  the  People. — Peaceableness  of  the  Inhabitants.  — 
Beginning  to  clear  away  the  Debris.  — Temporary  DTyellings. 
— Temporary  Storehouses.  —  General  Clearing  of  the  Burned 
District. — Measures  for  securing  Money.— Speech  of  Mr. 
John  Bo^  d     .       .       . .278 


16  CONTENTS. 

PAQB 

*        •  CHAPTER  Xj^I. 

' .«:  . 

CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS. 

The  Sad  Worshippers. — The  Meetings  for  Conswltation.  —  Sad 
as  Funerals.  —  The  Sermon  of  the  Eev.  D.  M.  Maclise,  D.D. : 
"Shall  there  be  evil  in  a  city,  and  the  Lord  hath  not  done 
it?"  —  Sermon  of  the  Eev.  John  "Wills:  "^hall  a  trumpet 
be  blown  in  the  city,  and  the  people  not  be  afraid  ?  "  —  Ser- 
mon of  the  Eev.  G.  M.  Armstrong:  "I know,  O  Lord,  that 
thy  judgments  are  right " 287 

CHAPTER  XX. 

MISCELLANEOUS  MATTERS  OF  INTEREST. 

The  Newspapers  of  Saint  John.  —  Historical  Notice.  —  Biograph- 
ical Sketch  of  the  Life  of  Lieut-Gov.  Tilley,  C.  B.— The 
Life  of  John  Boyd,  a  Private  Citizen. — Examples  of  Saint 
John's  Sterling  Men. — The  City  Government. —  The  Fire 
Department. — The  pAsurance  Companies. — Little  "Wan- 
derers' Home.  —  Incidents  of  the  Fire.  — Conclusion     ,       ,  338 


GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN.  - 


■  •»■  ^   «» 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  HOME  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

House  on  Queen's  Square.  —  The  Inside  of  a  Merchant's  Residence. 
—  Furniture  and  Keepsakes. — Prophecy  of.  the  Old  Indian.— 
Forebodings  of  coming  Disaster. 

y^wAVID  TOURNAY  stood  before  one  of  the 
-*-^  large  parlor-windows  of  his  spacious  and  some- 
what imposing  residence  on  Queen's  Square,  Saint 
John,  looking  out  upon  the  park.  He  was  a  man  of 
dignified  bearing,  having  a  body  short  and  stout,  a 
face  round  and  large,  with  chin  and  forehead  of  the 
recognized  English  pattern,  and  wearing  his  gray 
side-whiskers  and  thick  hair  neatly  trimmed.  The 
accurate  cut  of  his  gray  coat  and  lighter-colored 
pants,  the  gloss  of  his  cuffs  and  collar,  the  whiteness 
of  his  teeth,  the  bright  restless  movement  of  his  blue 
eyes,  together  with  his  general  appearance  of  scru- 

17 


18  GREAT  FIRE  IN  S.' 'XT  JOHN. 

pulous  neatness,  denoted  a  cultivated  and  wealthy 
gentleman.  He  held  in  one  hand  a  new  Manilla  hat, 
and  in  the  other  a  rattan  cane  with  an  ivory  handle 
secured  by  a  bi;  id  ot  gold. 

It  was  the  twentieth  day  of  June,  1877.  The 
trees  and  grass  wore  their  liveliest  color  and  their 
thickest  foliage.  The  fresh  sea-breeze  which  rippled 
the  broad  river  and  bay,  and  shook  the  leaves  on  the 
shore,  also  swung  the  lace  curtains  in  the  open  win- 
dows of  Saint  John's  most  elegant  homes.  The  hot 
sun  which  had  gleamed  for  several  days  with  unpleas- 
ant directness  upon  the  valleys  and  hillsides  of  the 
undulating  city  seemed  intent  upon  crumbling  the 
rocks  into  dust,  and  parching  the  trees  into  easy  play- 
things for  the  increasing  wind.  Impartially  did  the 
sun  inflame  and  the  breezes  fan  the  poor  and  the 
rich ;  the  ignorant  and  the  educated  alike  hid  from 
the  sun,  and  welcomed  the  western  wind.  In  the 
favors  and  neglects  of  air  and  light,  no  man  can  boast 
exclusiveness.  But  the  breezes  were  none  the  less 
welcome  to  David  Tournay  for  having  skimmed  the 
lowly  roofs  of  many  an  honest  laborer,  and  ruflled 
the  hair  of  numerous  humpn  beings  lower  in  the 
social  scale  than  himself,  before  they  slammed  the 
shutters  and  flapped  the  curtains  of  his  mansion. 
He  was  not  the  man  to  wish  others  poorer  than  him- 
self, and  had  none  of  that  exclusiveness  in  his  roan- 


'    ^  A  HOME   IN  SAINT  JOHN.    >  ,  19 

ner  or  his  home  " "  indicate  that  he  was  particularly 
proud  of  his  possessions  or  of  his  ancestry.  Yet  he 
might  have  been  >^ain  in  the  consciousness  of  having 
been  honored  in  both  ;  for  he  was  one  of  that  Large 
class  of  wealthy  merchants  who  have  made  Saint 
John  their  home,  and  who  for  nearly  a  hundred  years 
have  been  known  as  careful,  earnest,  honest  men, 
having  a  taste  for  culture,  and  making  generous, 
hearty  good-fellowship  a  fundamental  article  in 
their  social  and  religious  creed. 

That  he  was  in  possession  of  enough  to  make 
him  boastful,  could  have  been  clearly  established 
by  glancing  about  him  as  he  stood  waiting  for  his 
carriage  that  day.  The  parlor  where  he  waited 
was  furnished  in  the  most  elegant  and  costly  man- 
ner. Neither  Nottingham  nor  Alen^on  produced  a 
prettier  design  in  lace  than  the  curtains  at  his  win- 
dows exhibited.  No  velvet  carpet  made  to  order  in 
Benares  or  Brussels  would  have  exhibited  more 
exquisite  taste,  or  harmonized  more  perfectly  with 
the  rich  plush  of  the  sofa£,  and  the  artistic  decora- 
tions on  the  walls,  than  did  the  carpet  his  good  taste 
had  chosen.  The  chandeliers,  the  mirrors,  the  rugs, 
the  carved  tables,  the  works  of  art  in  painting, 
sculpture,  and  books,  the  piano  and  its  embroidered 
cover  —  all  were  of  the  richest  type.  Throughout 
the  house,  from  the  spacious  cellar  to  the  convcn- 


20  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

iently  furnished  upper  chambers,  in  drawing-room, 
library,  dining-room,  hall,  sleeping-apartments,  bath- 
rooms, and  closets,  there  was  no  lack  of  the  com- 
forts, conveniences,  and  elegances  of  the  most 
advanced  civilized  life. 

For  twenty-four  years  David  Tournay  and  his  wife 
had  been  steadily  and  carefully  selecting  articles  with 
which  to  furnish  that  home.  There  were  the  heir- 
looms that  told  the  history  of  two  hundred  years. 
There  was  a  sword  in  the  library,  which  an  ancestor 
of  Mrs.  Tournay  captured  at  Bannockburn.  There 
was  a  musket  or  blunderbuss  hanging  near  it,  which 
an  ancestor  of  David  Tournav  carried  in  the  roman- 
tic  days  of  De  la  Tour,  when  St.  John  was  but  a 
fort,  and  that  fort  could  contain  less  than  a  hundred 
followers  of  that  adventurous  knight.  In  bed- 
chamber and  hall,  in  dining-room  and  kitchen,  were 
vases  in  Parian,  cups  of  ancient  china,  baskets  of 
curious  finish,  specimens  of  heathen  workmanship 
in  iron,  gold,  ivory,  and  sandalwood,  ancient  clocks, 
brackets,  quilts,  laces,  toys,  and  coins,  each  the  gift 
of  some  friend  or  3  elative  more  or  less  dear  or  cele- 
brated. The  Bible  from  mother,  an  old  portrait  of 
himself  from  grandfather,  an  autograph  of  Henry 
VIII.,  a  commission  signed  by  Oliver  Cromwell,  and 
a  violin  used  once  by  Paganini,  were  among  the  inter- 
esting reminders  of  near  and  dear  donors  long  since 
sleeping  in  the  tomb. 


A  HOME  IN  SAINT  JOHN.  21 

On  the  marble  table  in  the  parlor  lay  volumes  in 
beautiful  bindings,  the  gifts  of  authors  or  distin- 
guished men  ;  and  there  were  the  autograph  and 
photograph  albums,  with  the  names  and  faces  of  all 
the  loved  friends  of  boyhood,  girlhood,  school  days, 
years  of  travel,  and  years  of  hard  labor.  On  the 
shelves  of  his  library  were  two  thousand  volumes, 
and  each  had  been  selected  with  care.  Curious 
books,  strange  and  antique,  purchased  by  the  owner 
on  his  commercial  trips  to  England,  France,  and  the 
United  States ;  old  manuscripts  of  his  own  writing, 
letters  from  friends  and  public  officials,  poems,  his- 
tories, essays,  novels,  works  upon  science,  art,  and 
commerce,  —  told  the  beholder  how  the  culture  of 
the  mind  and  the  accumulation  of  wealth  had  moved 
on  hand  in  hand,  neither  crushing  the  other,  or  leav- 
ing its  companion  behind.  Yet  this  home,  with  all 
its  comforts  and  valuables,  was  but  one  of  many 
that  stood  in  the  city  of  Saint  John  on  that  day,  and 
which  would  disappear  in  a  cloud  of  fire  and  smoke 
before  another  dawn. 

David  Tournay  tells  the  writer  (and  we  call  him 
by  that  name  because  he  shuns  the  notoriety  such  a 
book  as  this  would  give  him)  that  as  he  stood  look- 
ing out  upon  the  lawn,  and  carelessly  watching  the 
boys  and  girls  as  they  romped  through  the  park,  a 
feeling  of  gloom  seized  upon  him  so  unexpectedly 


22  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

and  so  forcibly  that  he  thought  he  had  been 
taken  suddenly  ill.  He  put  his  hand  to  his  heart, 
then  to  his  head ;  tried  his  eyesight  by  looking 
toward  the  hills  away  beyond  the  bay;  and  then, 
turning  quickly  to  his  wife,  who  sat  near  him, 
exclaimed,  — 

"  Mary,  I  feel  strangely  to-day :  I  believe  my 
luncheon  was  too  hearty.  I  have  no  reason  that  I 
can  recall  for  feeling  despondent,  yet  I  do  feel  as  if 
every  friend  I  have  was  under  the  sod." 

Mrs.  Tournay  looked  up  with  a  startled  expres- 
sion, her  pale  face  flushing  for  a  moment,  and  her 
dull  eyes  brightening  unnaturally,  and  quickly 
responded,  — 

"I  feel  so  too,  David.  But  I  felt  it  just  as 
strongly  before  I  ate  to-day.  It  may  be  that  watch- 
ing with  Ethel,  poor  girl !  has  made  me  low-spirited. 
David," — and  Mrs.  Tournay's  lips  trembled,  and  the 
tears  came  as  she  spoke,  —  "  do  you  think  it  possible 
that  Ethel  wHl  —  will  —  not  live  ?  " 

"  Oh,  nonsense,  Mary,  nonsense  I  The  doctor  says 
that  she  is  better,  and  he  ought  to  know  ;  and,  what 
is  more,  she  appears  better.  She  wanted  her  book 
and  her  needlework  to-day.  She  asked  after  the  cat 
and  her  birdie  when  I  was  up  there  just  now. 
Don't  think  of  her  dying,  Mary :  you  or  I,  or  both 
of  us,  may  go  first,  you  know." 


A  HOME  IN  SAINT  JOHN.  23 

"  Yes,  it  is  possible  we  may,  I  know  ;  but  I  do 
feel  as  if  something  awful  were  going  to  happen. 
I  suppose  I  am  foolish;  but  that  story  Harry  told 
the  kitchen-maid  caused  my  heart  to  beat  quick, 
although  I  know  it  is  impossible.  Every  thing 
makes  me  gloomy,  now  that  Ethel  is  so  sick." 

"  What  story  did  Harry  tell  ?  I  did  not  hear  of 
it.  Did  he  say  any  thing  about  Ethel  ?  What  does 
he  know  about  her  ?  " 

"  No,  no  !  "  said  Mrs.  Tournay.  "  I  thought  you 
were  listening  too  when  he  talked  with  Katie  in  the 
yard.  He  said  that  an  old  Indian  chief  told  him 
and  a  number  of  other  boys  last  Saturday  that  Saint 
John  was  going  to  be  destroyed  on  Tuesday  of  this 
week  (meaning  yesterday,  of  course),  and  told 
them  to  advise  their  parents  to  move  out.  He  said 
he  told  his  school-teacher  about  it,  and  she  scolded 
him  for  believing  such  nonsense,  and  lectured  the 
whole  school  upon  superstition.  She  did  right  in 
that,  of  course  ;  and,  as  the  day  has  already  gone  by, 
there  was  nothing  in  it  any  way.  But  for  some 
reason  it  has  troubled  me  so  that  I  think  about  it, 
and  dream  about  it  when  I  get  time  to  dream  about 
any  thing.     I  do  wish  that  I  could  get  over  it." 

David  walked  across  the  room,  through  the  fold- 
ing-door, into  the  drawing-room,  and  looked  out  the 
window   instinctively,   as    if   he  thought  the  boy 


24  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

might  be  still  there  talking  to  the  maid.  Then 
meditatively  returning,  he  put  his  hand  tenderly  on 
his  wife's  head,  and  affectionately  stroked  her 
silvered  hair. 

"  Mary,"  said  he,  "  we  have  no  right  to  be  down- 
hearted and  solemn  to-day.  Just  think  back 
through  the  3^ears,  and  see  how  we  have  been 
blessed.  You  cannot  forget  those  two  rooms  we 
began  to  live  in ;  you  cannot  forget  those  long  years 
of  ceaseless  work,  trying  to  earn  an  honest ,  living. 
Now  we  have  all  we  want.  I  was  thinking  this 
morning,  as  I  went  into  the  warehouse,  that,  were 
Ethel  restored  to  health,  there  is  nothing  more  that 
I  desire.  Of  course  we  are  not  rich,  as  the  people 
of  New  York  and  London  estimate  riches ;  but  we 
do  have  all  we  can  use  ;  and  I  think  it  is  time  that 
I  close  out  my  business,  and  retire,  to  enjoy  with 
you  and  Ethel  the  accumulations  of  all  these  hard 
years.  Gloomy  !  I  scout  the  idea  when  I  stop  to 
think.  Oh,  no,  Mary !  what  cause  have  we  to  be 
sad  ?  Come,  cheer  up !  cheer  up !  I  wonder  what 
keeps  Jim  so  long.  He  ought  to  have  been  here 
some  time  ago.  Lord !  it  is  now  almost  three 
o'clock.     I'm  afraid  I  shall  have  to  walk  down." 

David  had  left  the  parlor,  and  had  placed  his  hand 
upon  the  knob  of  tlie  front-door,  and  his  wife  was 
just  about  to  ascend  the  stairs,  when  he  heard  a 


A  EOME  IN  SAINT  JOHN.  25 

stroke  of  the  bell  on  the  Germain-street  Baptist 
Church  near  by,  which  was  "*'<■  tantly  echoed  from 
the  Centenary  Church,  and  from  the  old  Bell-Tower 
half  a  mile  away. 

"  The  deuce  !  "  shouted  David,  "  there's  a  fire  !  " 
and  then,  feeling  that  he  was  unusually  nervous, 
and  could  not  find  any  thing  peculiarly  excitable  in 
an  alarm  of  fire,  as  the  Fire  Department  usually 
put  out  the  conflagrations  in  four  or  five  minutes, 
he  suddenly  assumed  a  calmer  demeanor,  and 
counted  the  strokes.  "  Two,  three,  four,  five.  Oh, 
that  is  over  on  Union  Street,  somewhere  down  by 
the  wharf,  I  think.  It  is  not  within  three  or  four 
blocks  of  the  warehouse,  so  we  are  all  right.  Wish 
I  had  my  property  insured  in  something  besides  a 
mutual  company.  But  I  must  go :  Jim  has  come 
with  the  carriage.  Good-by,  Mary ;  take  good  care 
of  Ethel.  I  will  be  back  by  five  o'clock ;  she  will 
be  better  then,  I  know.     Good-by." 

So  saying,  he  hurried  out  to  the  carriage,  and, 
hastily  seating  himself,  was  driven  briskly  in  the 
direction  of  Charlotte  Street.  Had  he  looked  back, 
as  he  usually  did,  and  as  his  wife  expected  he 
would  do  then,  he  would  have  seen  her  pale  face  at 
the  window,  w^earing  a  startlingl}^  ghastly  look  of 
foreboding  and  dismay.  Ah,  could  he  have  liad 
even  the  foresight  of  the  wild  man  of  the  forest,  he 


26  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

would  have  known  chat  the  repeated  alarm-bells, 
still  ringing  out  till  twenty-five  strokes  were  tolled 
in  chimes  of  five  strokes  each,  was  the  knell  of  a 
city ;  while,  over  his  own  home,  disasters  frightful 
as  war  menaced  every  thing  that  he  loved. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  FIRE. 

York  Point  Slip. —The  Fire  Department.— The  Progress  of  the 
Flames.  —  Scenes  of  Excitement.  —  Burning  of  Dwellings  and 
Warehouses.  —  Destruction  of  Vessels.  —  Strange  Behavior  of 
Panic-stricken  Ones. 

"T  TAD  David  Tournay  returned  to  his  residence 
-* — *-  an  hour  after  he  left  it,  he  would  have  found 
his  wife  lying  asleep  on  the  bed  in  little  Ethel's 
chamber,  with  the  sick  girl  beside  her ;  while  the 
dark-eyed  pallid  invalid,  without  moving  her  head, 
gazed  cautiously  at  whatever  of  furniture  or  decora- 
tion came  within  range  of  her  eyesight.  The  fever 
which  had  raged  in  her  body  for  so  many  days  had 
left  her  but  a  few  hours  before ;  and  the  con- 
sciousness of  the  fact  that  she  was  better,  permitted 
the  mother  to  sleep,  and  gave  the  daughter  patience 
to  lie  quiet  and  disturb  not  her  dreams.  It  would 
have  been  fortunate  for  David  if  he  could  have  seen 
them,  as  his  quick  and  experienced  ear  would  have 
detected  the  clamor  of  distant  crowds,  the  cries  of 

27 


28  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

"  Fire^  fire  I "  and  the  shrill  whistle  of  steam  fire- 
engines.  His  nostrils  would  have  detected  the  odor 
of  smoke  and  steam  ;  and  his  e3"es  would  ha^  e  seen 
the  enormous  black  cloud  which  rolled  upward  and 
eastward,  hiding  the  heavens,  and  casting  an  ominous 
shadow  on  house  and  park,  street  and  bay.  He 
would  not  have  waited  long  after  he  had  detected 
the  deep  mutterings  of  that  volcano,  before  he  would 
have  aroused  his  companion,  carefully  wrapped  his 
darling  girl  in  her  cloak  of  ermine,  and  hastened 
away  from  the  doomed  city.  Alas !  he  was  not 
there  ;  and  the  wife  unconsciously  awaited  the  com- 
ing flames,  in  a  deep  refreshing  sleep,  while  'the 
daughter  attributed  the  unusual  tumult  she  seemed 
to  hear,  and  the  darkening  of  the  sky  which  she 
seemed  to  notice,  to  her  own  feeble  and  nervous 
condition. 

David,  however,  with  thoughts  of  bundles  and 
packages  of  merchandise,  of  accounts  unsettled  and 
capital  uninvested,  was  driven  to  his  warehouse, 
where,  after  bidding  his  partners  and  clerks  a  cheer- 
ful "  good-morning,"  he  soon  lost  himself  in  the 
usual  pile  of  correspondence.  He  had  been  engaged 
thus  for  a  few  moments  only,  when  the  rush  of  an 
excited  crowd  of  boys  along  the  street,  and  the 
repeated  cry  of  "  Fire,  fire  I  "  drew  him  with  others 
to  the  warehouse  door. 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  FIRE.  29 

*'  That  fire  seems  to  be  gaining  headway,  sir,"  said 
a  gentleman,  pointing  at  the  columns  of  vapor  which 
rolled  upward  in  great  scrolls  and  banks  like  the 
first  upheavals  of  an  approaching  thunder-cloud. 

•'  I  think  I  will  go  and  look  at  it,"  said  Mr.  Tour- 
nay,  hastily  entering  his  counting-room,  crowding 
his  letters  under  a  paper-weight,  and  seizing  his  hat 
and  cane.  "  Some  poor  fellow  is  meeting  with  a  sad 
loss,  I  fear." 

"  How  thankful  we  ought  to  be  that  it  is  not 
our  property !  "  said  he  to  himself,  as  he  joined  the 
current  of  human  beings  which  flowed  down  King 
Street,  and  westward  along  Dock  Street,  toward  York 
Point.  "  Whoever  it  is,"  continued  he  to  himself, 
"  I  shall  propose  that  we  make  up  a  purse  for  him. 
We  will  show  him  how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is 
for  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity." 

With  such  reflections  is  these  Mr.  Tournay  worked 
himself  into  quite  a  cheerful  mood,  and  was  half 
hoping  for  an  opportunity  to  display  the  good- will  of 
his  firm,  when  he  came  to  the  corner  of  Dock  and 
Union  Streets.  Here  a  gust  of  wind  carrying  a 
stifling  load  of  ashes  burst  upon  him,  driving  him 
suddenly  back  behind  the  corner  house  to  regain  his 
breath. 

"  Great  God !  "  exclaimed  he  as  he  glanced  again 
around  the  corner  in  a  momentary  lull  of  the  whirl- 


80  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN, 

wind.  "  The  whole  wharf  is  on  fire.  Smyth  Street 
and  Nelson  Street  will  go,  as  sure  as  fate  I  Sir,"  said 
he  to  a  policeman  who  came  up  just  then,  "  how  did 
such  a  fire  as  this  begin  ?  '* 

"  No  one  seems  to  be  able  to  tell,"  said  the  officer. 
"  It  was  first  seen  at  one  side  of  McLaughlin's  boiler- 
works,  down  there  on  the  slip,  and  probably  began 
in  a  little  building  alongside.  Hare's  Wharf  is 
going  fast.  The  engines  work  well,  and  I  see  they 
have  ordered  out  old  engine  No.  3.  But  water  does 
not  seem  to  have  any  effect.  There  I  They  are 
shifting  new  No.  3  now.  This  is  a  fatal  locality  for 
fires.  Sir,  this  block  back  of  us  has  been  burned 
six  times  in  seventy  years ;  and  it  is  about  here 
somewhere  that  the  great  fires  of  1837,  1840,  and 
1845,  began.  I  think  you  had  better  look  sharp  to 
your  warehouse,  for  the  air  is  full  of  burning  brands 
and  cinders.  Just  see  that  storm  of  them  going 
away  ovei  to  Market  Wharf !  My  God  I  Mr.  Tour- 
nay,  this  is  going  to  be  a  terrible  fire." 

Mr.  Tournay  waited  to  hear  no  more  ;  for  the 
wind  was  increasing  to  a  gale,  the  blinding  smoke 
hissed  around  the  corner,  the  air  was  dense  with 
sparks  and  dust,  and  little  puffs  and  jets  of  smoke 
appearing  on  the  shingles,  in  crevices  of  clapboards, 
and  joints  of  window-casings,  showed  him  that  in 
a  few  moments  the  wooden  stores  and  dweUings  all 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  FIRE.  31 

about  him  would  be  in  a  flame.  Yet  lie  could  not 
believe  that  his  Avarehouse  was  in  any  dan!:^rer.  He 
was  confident  the  steam  fire-engines  would  stop  the 
conflagration.  They  were  the  pride  of  the  city.  In 
two  minutes  only  after  tlie  clerk  struck  this  ahirm, 
the  engines  began  to  throw  water  upon  McLaughlin's 
factory  ;  and  he  did  not  see  how  a  fire  could  get 
away  from  them.  He  could  scarce  credit  what  he 
himself  saw,  bui  under-et-timated  the  danger,  in 
Avhatever  form  it  presented  itself.  He  even  so  far 
forgot  his  own  property,  and  had  such  a  feeling  of 
confidence  in  the  fire-department,  that  he  del/n^ed 
some  time  to  help  a  man  lift  a  piano  down  a  flight 
of  doorsteps  on  Union  Street,  and,  with  habitual 
business  caution,  tied  up  the  end-board  of  the  wagon 
as  the  instrument  was  being  carted  away.  When 
he  reached  Prince  William  Street,  and  turned 
toward  Market  Square,  the  highway  before  him  pre- 
sented a  strange  scene.  The  people  had  begun  to 
be  excited  over  the  prospect  of  an  extensive  con- 
flagration. Every  one  seemed  to  be  moving  his  or 
her  effects,  each  in  a  different  direction,  and  none 
appearing  to  know  whither.  As  he  himself  began 
to  give  way  to  the  panic  which  was  now  spreading 
among  the  people,  he  quickened  his  pace  to  a  trot, 
and  then  to  a  downright  running  chase ;  thinking 
then,  for  the  first  time,  that  it  was  among  the  possi- 


32  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

bilities  that  neither  the  fire-department  nor  the 
intervening  blocks  of  brick  and  stone  would  prevent 
the  destruction  of  his  warehouse.  He  ran  against 
old  ladies  with  cradles  and  babies,  tongs  and  dolls  ; 
against  men  with  beds,  boxes,  clothing,  chairs,  and 
crockery-ware  ;  overturned  boys  enveloped  in  piles 
of  table-linen,  dragging  toy  carts  and  tin  hose-car- 
riages. He  stumbled  over  heaps  of  merchandise, 
broken  furniture,  stacks  of  books  and  picture- 
frames,  which  the  owners,  with  shouts  and  screams, 
were  endeavoring  to  convey  to  a  place  of  safety. 
Some  few  cool-headed  ones  were  quickly  and  sys- 
tematically stowing  their  goods  in  wagons,  or  carry- 
ing them  across  the  street ;  but  many  others  were 
excited  and  unreasonable,  doing  the  strangest  and 
most  unreasonable  things,  which  at  any  other  time 
would  have  strained  his  sides  with  laughter. 

When  he  reached  Market  Square,  it  seemed  as  if 
the  whole  city  had  instantly  started  to  move.  Every 
available  vehicle  from  a  dray  to  a  bu^gy  was  called 
into  requisition,  and  came  crowding  into  the  square. 
The  sidewalks  were  being  piled  with  goods  from  the 
wholesale  houses.  Some  packages  were  being  hastily 
deposited  on  the  vessels  at  the  wharf ;  others  were 
carried  np  King  Street  to  King's  Square  ;  while  the 
teams  hurried  hither  and  thither,  taking  goods  to 
other  stores,  or  to  private  houses,  or  into  open  lots. 


THE  BEGINNING   OF   THE  FIRE.  83 

some  to  be  finally  saved,  and  others  to  be  burned 
even  in  their  place  of  refuge.  Men  were  upon  the 
roofs,  and  on  almost  every  projection  of  the  build- 
ings, pouring  on  water,  or  extinguishing  with  rags 
the  lodging  sparks  which  showered  down  upon  the 
buildings  far  and  near.  The  wind  was  blowing  in  a 
hurricane,  and  fanned  the  furnace  behind  them  until 
with  volcanic  throes  it  belched  forth  burning  brands 
of  pine  which  a  strong  man  would  have  found  it 
difficult  to  carr}^  and,  shooting  them  high  in  the 
heavens,  let  them  fall  far  to  the  windward,  crashing 
into  roofs  and  windows,  or  threatening  the  lives  of 
the  crowd,  about  whose  heads  they  whirred  and 
hissed  as  they  fell  to  the  pavement.  So  hot  became 
the  gusts,  and  so  full  of  sparks  was  the  air  every- 
where in  the  path  of  the  tempest,  that  bundles  of 
goods  tossed  from  second-story  windows  were  on 
fire  before  they  reached  the  hands  of  those  who 
caught  them  in  the  yard  below. 

Here  were  strange  scenes.  One  man,  too  faith- 
ful to  his  employers  to  think  of  leaving  them  for  his 
wardrobe  and  valuables  at  the  burning  hotel,  or  too 
excited  to  make  much  account  of  his  feelings  or  his 
life,  stood  on  the  window-casement  of  the  store,  and 
passed  out  goods,  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  his  hat 
of  straw  was  blazing  and  singeing  into  his  scalp. 
One  elderly  merchant  was  seen  tying  up  an  old  um- 


Wi  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

brella  with  a  clothes-line,  and  had  to  be  severely 
shaken  by  his  son  before  he  recovered  from  his  tem- 
porary lunacy.  One  seized  the  hose  which  threw  a 
powerful  stream,  and  began  driving  away  at  the 
broken  packcages  of  dry-goods  passing  him  in  the 
street. 

But  the  action  of  some  of  the  sailors  in  the  ves- 
sels at  the  wharves  exhibited  the  strangest  freaks  of 
absent-mindedness.  The  harbor  was  c.  owded  with 
vessels;  and  the  wharves  in  the  v  cinity  where  the 
fire  began  were  closely  lined  with  ships  of  various  ton- 
nage. Some  of  these  were  in  such  close  proximity 
to  the  fire,  and  their  rigging  ignited  so  quickly,  that 
many  were  destroyed,  or  badly  damaged,  before  they 
could  be  pushed  out  into  the  bay.  Some  were  towed 
away  from  the  shore,  some  were  forced  into  the  stream 
by  men  along  the  wharves,  and  some  were  drawn  out 
of  the  slips  b}^  sailors  in  small  row-boats.  One  old 
sailor,  whose  vessel  lay  at  Market  Wharf,  became  so 
agitated,  that  when  the  sail  caught  fire  he  could  not 
wait  for  tug  or  tide,  and  taking  a  small  tow-line  in 
his  teeth  leaped  overboard,  and,  as  he  stoutly  claims 
since,  actually  towed  the  vessel  to  safe  ancnorage  by 
swimming  against  the  tide.  The  officers  seem  to 
think  that  the  men  with  spike-poles  on  the  wharf 
had  something  to  do  with  the  movement  of  the 
ship ;  but  the  sailor  does  not  admit  that  such  was 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  FIRE.  M 

the  fact.  Another  at  the  end  of  a  Water-street  slip 
tried  to  draw  water  with  a  cord  hammock  to  extin- 
guish a  flame  in  a  bundle  of  tarred  rags.  Another 
ran  up  aloft,  and  seated  himself  on  the  yard,  to  get 
out  of  the  flames  on  deck,  and  was  only  saved  by 
being  persuaded  to  leap  into  the  bay.  Another  poor 
fellow,  whose  family  reside  at  Halifax,  rowed  along- 
side a  burning  wharf,  and  saved  a  man  and  a  woman 
clinging  to  the  timbers;  but  in  so  doing  was  so 
burned,  and  drew  into  his  lungs  so  much  smoke,  that 
he  died  but  a  few  hours  later. 

Mr.  Tournay  did  not  stop  to  ponder  upon  the 
events  transpiring  about  him  ;  but,  as  he  crossed  Mar- 
ket Square,  he  saw  at  a  glance  the  great  tongues  of 
flame  rise  over  the  distant  blocks,  and,  with  a  hiss 
like  that  of  a  bomb,  dart  over  and  downward  upon 
mast  and  sail  and  lumber  piles.  He  saw  the  sailors 
leaping  from  rope  to  rope  with  pail  and  sponge.  He 
saw  the  water  surging  along  the  half-submerged 
boards,  as  bucket  after  bucket  was  emptied  upon  the 
decks.  He  heard  the  shouts  of  captains,  the  yells  of 
men  along  the  wharves,  the  bustle  on  the  piers,  the 
confusion  which  characterized  everybody  and  every 
thing  on  dock,  street,  sidewalk,  or  warehouses  ;  but 
they  made  no  fixed  impression  on  his  mind. 

He  hastened,  puffing  and  sighing,  from  stare  to 


36  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

store;  and  at  last,  almost  paralyzed  with  fatigue 
and  ^^itation,  he  rushed  into  his  warehouse.  A 
few  minutes  had  changed  every  thing  without  and 
T/ithin.  Without  were  eager  hurrying  masses  of 
people,  all  excited  and  noisy ;  while  within  were  busy 
hands,  trained  to  be  systematic  and  cautious,  tjdng 
bundles,  nailing  cases,  stowing  goods  near  the  rear 
windows  preparatory  to  a  precipitate  removal ;  and 
with  a  celerity  which  only  comes  from  a  thorough 
training  in  arranging,  packing,  and  economizing 
room,  the  clerks  and  porters  secured  for  safe  trans- 
portation the  vast  collection  of  valuable  merchandise 
which  the  building  contained. 

Still  believing  that  the  fire  might  be  stayed,  as  it 
was  burning  within  the  fire  limits  where  brick,  stone, 
and  mortar  formed  the  principal  building-material, 
Mr.  Tournay's  associates  hoped  to  save  the  building, 
and  avoid  the  expense  oi  removal.  They,  however, 
took  the  precaution  to  send  out  men  to  hire  express- 
wagons  for  the  removal  of  their  merchandise,  having 
but  one  or  two  teams  of  their  own.  They  also  sent 
men  to  the  roof  and  windows  to  saturate  with  water 
all  the  exposed  wood- work  about  the  structure. 
The  messengers  who  were  sent  after  the  teams  soon 
returned,  saying  that  no  money  could  hire  a  dray- 
man or  expressman ;  that  the  fire  was  demolishing 


THE  Br.GINNING  OF  THE  FIRE.  37 

the  stone  buildings  as  if  thej  were  but  mortar ;  and 
that  wildest  confusion  reigned  in  every  business 
street. 

Then  it  was  decided  by  all  that  the  time  had  come 
to  remove  the  goods  as  fast  as  possible.  But  they 
had  waited  a  few  minutes  too  long.  When  they 
attempted  to  raise  the  windows  on  the  side  towards 
the  fire,  the  rush  of  smoke  and  cinders  was  so  great 
as  to  make  it  impossible  to  work  there,  even  had  not 
the  safety  of  the  building  been  dependent  upon 
keeping  all  such  avenues  closed.  So  they  tried  the 
windows  at  the  rear  end  of  the  warehouse ;  but  the 
change  caused  such  delay  in  getting  the  teams 
within  reach,  that  the  roof  was  blazing  high  when 
the  first  packages  were  handed  down  to  the  wagons. 
The  employees  young  and  old  stood  by  the  burning 
building  like  sailors  by  a  ship,  and  would  not  for- 
sake their  revered  employers,  though  they  felt  sure 
their  own  property  in  other  places  was  perishing  for 
the  need  of  their  protection,  and  that  the  men  they 
served  might  be  too  poor  on  the  morrow  to  pay  them 
their  wages  for  even  that  day.  They  staid  after 
the  proprietors  told  them  to  go.  They  threw  out 
hundreds  of  cases  and  bales  after  the  approaching 
heat  had  broken  the  glass  in  the  windows,  and  let  in 
great  billows  of  fire.     They  staid  until  the  mer- 


38  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN, 

chandiso  was  ablaze ;  and  then  with  scorched  faces 
and  blistered  hands  they  leaped  from  the  windows 
into  the  alley,  and,  hiding  from  the  smoke  and  flame, 
crawled  between  old  sheds  and  fences,  and  thus 
picked  their  way,  more  dead  than  alive,  into  King's 
Square. 


CHAPTER  III. 

BUBNING  HOMES. 

Caught  by  the  Flames.  —  Eunning  the  Gauntlet  of  Fire.  —  Bi  ming 
of  the  Dead.  —  The  Kuins  of  a  Home.  —  Searching  for  Loved 
Ones.  —  Surrounded  by  Fire.  —  Queen's  Square. 

"r^AVID  TOURNAY  was  the  last  person  to 
-^-^  leave  the  warehouse,  as  he  lingered  behind  to 
be  sure  that  the  safe  was  locked,  and  that  aU  valu- 
able papers  were  taken  away  or  deposited.  And 
when  he  reached  the  rear  entrance,  and  opened  the 
door,  he  was  confronted  by  a  solid  sheet  of  flame. 
It  was  impossible  to  escape  that  way ;  and  he  felt  his 
heart  leap  as  it  occurred  to  him  that  those  who  had 
left  but  a  few  moments  before  by  that  same  way 
must  have  been  burned  to  death.  For  it  was  only  a 
short  time  since  they  had  called  him  to  follow.  He 
forced  the  door  back  into  place,  and  pressed  down 
the  lat  '^,  catching  full  in  his  face  as  it  closed  a 
furnace-blast  that  singed  his  whiskers,  and  punctured 
his  cheeks  with  a  thousand  stings. 

Now  what  was  he  to  do  ?    Should  he  try  to  gain 


40  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

an  upper  window?  No  ;  the  second  and  third  floors 
were  already  on  fire,  and  the  smoke  even  then  began 
to  curl  in  curious  rifts  along  the  ceiling  of  the  ware- 
room  in  which  he  stood.  The  front  doors  had  been 
shut  and  bolted  some  time  before,  to  keep  out  both 
thieves  and  fire ;  but  through  the  crevices  in  the 
drawn  shutters  he  could  see  the  rushing  clouds  of 
dust  and  smoke,  with  an  occasional  glare  like  the 
gleams  of  lightning  at  night,  which  for  a  moment 
illuminated  the  store  in  a  lurid,  ghastly  manner,  and 
then  left  it  gloomier  than  before.  This  warehouse 
in  which  he  had  accumulated  his  wealth,  this  build- 
ing from  which  he  was  so  soon  to  retire  with  a 
competency,  to  be  happy  all  his  days  with  his  wife 
and  Ethel,  was  now  to  be  his  grave,  and  the  great 
city  was  to  be  his  funeral  pyre. 

Let  the  writers  of  romance  describe  imaginary 
scenes  as  they  may,  let  poets  collect  their  most 
affecting  numbers,  and  relate  with  all  the  license 
of  their  calling;  but  they  will  no^  approach  any 
thing  akin  to  accuracy  in  describing  a  scene  like 
this.  The  pen  is  powerless  to  picture  the  dismay, 
the  horrid  apprehensions,  which  must  torture  the 
man  or  woman  in  Mr.  Tournay's  situation.  There 
are  emotions  which  are  so  horrid,  and  which  so  sel- 
dom come,  that  man  has  no  language  with  which  to 
ex  )ress   them.     To  be   burned  to   death   while   in 


BURNING  HOMES.  41 

complete  health  ;  to  die  with  every  thing  in  his  pos- 
session to  make  life  a  pleasure ;  to  leave  his  wife 
and  child  alone  ;  and  —  ah  !  could  it  be  possible  ? 
Would  this  fire  reach  Queen's  Square  ?  Might  not 
his  wife  and  Ethel  be  burned  for  lack  of  a  protector, 
—  no  one  to  move  the  poor  ill  girl  ? 

How  many  men  there  are,  who,  before  the  Saint 
John  fire,  have  been  wrought  up  to  desperate  deeds, 
as  Mr.  Tournay  says  that  he  was,  by  the  care  and 
love  they  felt  for  others,  when  the  thoughts  of  them- 
selves only  weakened  their  resolution,  and  confirmed 
their  fear !  When  he  thought  of  his  loved  ones  in 
distress,  he  became  desperately  in  earnest,  and  feared 
not  to  attempt  any  thing  which  might  lead  to  them. 
He  instantly  decided  to  go  by  the  front  door,  for  that 
led  into  the  open  street,  while  the  rear  passage  was 
crooked  and  uncertain. 

Glancing  about  him  for  some  protection,  he  saw  a 
woollen  blanket  lying  upon  a  box.  He  seized  it  at 
once,  swung  it  over  his  head,  wrapped  it  close  about 
his  shoulders ;  and,  turning  the  key,  he  quickly 
opened  the  door,  and  darted  desperately  into  the 
street.  The  spot  was  like  a  smelting-furnace. 
Ashes,  dust,  smoke,  and  pieces  of  crumbling  ruins, 
went  whistling,  dashing  by,  forced  on  by  a  typhoon 
which  had  arisen  after  the  fire  began.  It  seized 
hin^,  whirled  him,  lifted  him,  choked  him,  but  bore 


42  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

him  onward,  onward,  whither  he  hardly  knew.  With 
his  head  completely  wrapped  in  the  woollen  blanket, 
seeing  nothing,  hearing  nothing,  he  ran  with  the 
wind,  scarce  getting  a  breath,  and  uncertain  whether 
the  next  step  might  not  drop  him  over  a  precipice, 
or  into  a  burning  dwelling.  He  could  feel  the 
flame's  hot  breath  scorching  his  limbs  and  feet,  and 
knew  it  was  a  fearful  gauntlet  he  was  running.  He 
could  smell  the  burning  blanket,  and  knew  that  his 
race  must  be  a  short  one,  or  he  would  be  lost. 

Soon  he  stumbled  against  a  stone  which  lay  beside 
the  street,  and,  falling  headlong,  went  sprawling  in 
the  muddy  gutter.  Here  he  threw  off  the  blanket 
to  see  wher^  he  had  fallen ;  and  he  found  himself 
several  blocks  from  the  warehouse,  but  with  the  fire 
burning  in  the  buildings  about  him  on  all  sides. 
The  houses,  however,  were  smaller,  and  the  danger 
from  falling  walls  was  passed.  He  found  too,  — 
strange  he  had  not  thought  of  it  before,  —  found 
that  as  he  lay  on  the  ground  he  was  clear  of  the 
smoke,  except  when  the  strongest  gusts  went  by. 
He  also  found  that  which  was  nearly  an  equal  bless- 
ing, —  the  gutter  filled  with  running  water  coming 
from  hose  or  hydrant  left  open  by  the  retreating 
people. 

He  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  dip  his  blanket 
in  the  filthy  water,   and,  blessing    the   Yorkshire 


BURNING  HOMES.  4S 

operators  who  wove  that  covering,  concealed  his 
head  again,  and  ran  on  as  before.  It  was  an  easy 
matter  now.  He  could  drop  to  the  ground  and  get 
fresh  air  at  any  time,  while  the  wet  cloth  protected 
him  from  the  smoke  as  well  as  from  the  flame. 

As  he  turned  into  Duke  Street  he  ascertained  that 
he  was  leaving  the  fire  behind ;  and,  after  crossing 
Germain  Street,  he  found  himself  again  in  the  midst 
of  human  beings  :  yet  the  smoke  and  flying  cinders 
were  still  almost  intolerable. 

At  that  time  the  whole  water-front  upon  the 
river  side  of  the  city  was  on  fire.  The  conflagra- 
tion had  spread  in  a  most  unusual  and  astonishing 
manner.  For  while  the  original  flames  were  cours- 
ing down  Dock  and  Nelson  Streets,  and  demolishing 
the  structures  on  Market  Wharf,  live  coals  were  car- 
ried long  distances,  and  dropped  into  tarred  roofs,  or 
bales  of  hay,  or  slyly  inserted  by  the  wind  under 
casings,  shingles,  or  shavings,  to  spring  up  into 
hundreds  of  bonfires  wholly  unexpected,  and  conse- 
quently wholly  at  liberty-  to  grow  into  wildfii*es 
without  obstruction.  In  this  way  the  large  estab- 
lishment of  Daniel  and  Boyd  on  Market  Square  was 
ignited.  In  this  way  the  wooden  buildings  half  a 
mile  distant  and  near  the  Custom  House  were  set  on 
fire.  So  that  it  was  the  work  of  but  a  short  space 
of  time,  not  exceeding  forty-five  minutes  after  the 


44  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

fire  was  in  Dock  Street,  before  the  whole  of  the  city 
lying  between  Prince  William  Street  and  the  water 
was  btirning  nearly  as  far  down  as  Reed's  Point.  The 
steam  fire-engines  had  done  most  excellent  service 
in  preventing  the  spread  of  the  flames  up  Union 
Street  bej'ond  Dock  Street,  as  that  block  where  they 
stopped  the  fire  was  the  key  to  all  that  part  of  the 
city  north  of  King  Street,  and  all  of  v/hich  was 
saved ;  at  a  great  sacrifice,  however,  as  we  shall  see 
hereafter.  - 

Intent  upon  nothing  but  reaching  his  house,  Mr. 
Tournay  hurried  into  Germain  Street;  but  he  saw 
the  huge  columns  of  smoke  back  of  the  Victoria 
Hotel ;  and  he  noticed  also  that  old  Trinity  Church 
was  giving  way  to  the  devouring  element,  which 
had  not  more  respect  for  things  sacred  than  it  had 
for  things  profane.  Even  old  Trinity,  with  almost 
a  century  of  history  clinging  to  its  walls,  with  the 
same  timbers  the  Loyalists  hewed  when  they  made 
Saint  John  their  home,  —  even  that  could  burn! 
The  swift  progress  of  the  disaster  thus  shown  warned 
him  not  to  try  to  reach  Queen's  Square  by  Germain 
Street:  and,  quickly  turning  back,  he  hastened 
toward  Charlotte  Street,  one  block  farther  removed 
from  the  fire.  The  air  was  thick  with  sparks,  which 
kindled  .into  flame  on  the  roofs  and  porches  on 
either  side  of  his  way ;  but,  with  the  aid  of  his 
blanket,  he  made  comparatively  safe  progress. 


BURNING  HOMES.  45 


He  had  not  proceeded  far,  however,  from  Germain 
Street,  before  he  was  rudely  seized  by  a  stout  hand; 
and  a  hoarse  sailor's  voice  shouted,  — 

'^  Sa}^,  friend,  give  us  a  hand !  We  have  moved 
the  corpse  three  times,  and  it's  likely  to  burn  after 
all.     Come,  give  us  a  lift !  just  a  minute  ! " 

"  My  house  is  burning :  my  wife  and  sick  child 
are  in  it !  I  can  not,  will  not  stop  I  "  said  Mr.  Tour- 
nay,  impatiently  shaking  off  the  hold  of  the  stranger 
upon  his  arm. 

"  Sorry  for  you,  sir,"  said  the  same  voice.  "  It  is 
better  to  be  dead  than  alive  in  such  an  hour  as  this. 
Then  I  must  let  the  dead  past  bury  its  dead,"  he 
added,  following  closely  upon  Mr.  Tournay's  heels, 
and  evidently  abandoning  the  body  of  the  dead  to 
be  burned  to  ashes. 

At  the  next  corner  two  young  women,  frenzied 
with  terror,  seized  Mr.  Tournay,  and  pleaded  with 
tears  and  shrieks  that  he  would  save  their  father. 

"  I  cannot  stop !  I  must  save  my  wife !  I  must 
save  my  child !  *'  screamed  he,  as  he  pulled  and 
dragged  at  the  blanket  they  so  tenaciously  held. 

"Oh,  come  with  us!  He  was  dying  when  the 
flames  drove  us  away.  We  took  him  out  of  his 
sick-bed :  we  carried  him  two  blocks  ;  we  could  not 
carry  him  farther.  Oh,  my  God !  my  God !  he  is 
burning,  and  no  one  will  help  us  ! " 


46  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Mr.  Tournay  hesitated.  But  the  thought  that 
this  'man,  whoever  he  was,  might  be  already  dead, 
while  his  own  wife  and  child,  if  saved  from  the  fire, 
would  be  safe  from  such  a  fatal  disease,  increased  his 
determination  to  go  on.  He  shook  them  off  with  a 
desperate  jerk,  and  started  down  the  street.  His 
journey  was  not  an  easy  one,  for  his  path  was  often 
blockaded  by  bundles,  beds,  tables,  mirrors,  wagons, 
wheelbarrows,  books,  kettles,  and  lumber,  that  the 
doting  owners  were  trying  to  hurry,  in  an  immense 
variety  of  conveyances  and  methods,  to  a  place  of 
safety  (which,  by  the  way,  the  greater  part  of  the 
property  never  found).  \i 

Imagine,  if  you  can,  the  dismay  and  heart-sickness 
of  that  great  number  of  St.  John's  merchants,  when 
they  gazed,  as  Mr.  Tournay  gazed,  upon  the  crum- 
bling ruins  of  their  homes,  —  the  walls  enclosing  a 
furnace  hot  and  seething,  —  and  when  they  felt,  as 
he  felt,  that  in  all  probability  the  family  he  loved 
were  flayed  in  its  bed  of  coals.  We  follow  the  steps 
of  Mr.  Tournay,  not  because  hh  experience  was 
more  thrilling  or  more  disastrous  than  that  of 
thousands  of  others,  —  for  we  believe  that,  were  the 
details  known  to  those  who  write  or  those  who 
print,  there  would  be  found  men  whose  adventures 
on  that  afternoon  and  night  were  of  a  much  more 
interesting  and  exciting  character,  —  but  we  follow 


BURNING  HOMES.  47 

him  as  a  representative  of  the  many,  and  because 
his  story  happened  to  be  heard  under  circumstancea 
favorable  to  its  perpetuation  in  history.  If  the 
reader  will  multiply  Mr.  Tournay's  sufferings  by 
fifteen  thousand,  and  add  five  thousand  for  those 
who  suffered  less  but  lost  their  homes,  he  may,  in  a 
measure,  obtain  an  idea  of  this  appalling  disaster. 

Queen's  Square,  when  David  Tournay  at  last 
reached  it,  was  enveloped  in  flame  upon  three  sides ; 
and  the  westerly  front  was  fast  succumbing  to  the 
heat  and  whirling  brands.  He  could  not  see  his 
house  when  he  entered  the  square,  so  thick  was  the 
intervening  cloud.  But  with  a  heart  aching  until  he 
half  determined  to  rush  into  the  embers  of  his  home 
and  die  as  they  had  probably  died,  he  wrapped  the 
blanket  again  about  his  head,  and  rushed  into  the 
middle  of  the  square.  The  shade-trees  and  the  grass 
were  parching  with  the  heat ;  and  long  wings  of 
flame  swooped  down  upon  them  from  the  roofs  of  the 
houses,  as  the  countless  whirlwinds  wrestled  and 
fought  around  the  walls  of  those  beautiful  homes. 
In  the  centre  of  the  park,  cowering  upon  the  grass 
and  among  piles  of  furniture,  was  a  small  company 
of  women  and  children,  crouching  with  fear,  and  un- 
able to  move. 

Mr.  Tournay  thought  at  first  that  he  detected  the 
velvet-trimmed  dress  of  his  wife  among  their  num- 


48  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

ber,  and  hasted  with  an  eagerness  he  never  knew 
before,  to  scan  the  smoke-begrimed  faces.  But  those 
he  sought  were  not  there.  Disheartened,  he  started 
toward  his  house ;  but  the  shifting  of  the  wind 
showed  him  that  nothing  was  left  of  his  beautiful 
residence,  with  all  its  priceless  treasures,  except  the 
front  wall;  while  through  the  ghastly  apertures, 
once  the  windows  of  a  mansion,  he  could  see  and 
hear  the  hideous,  remorseless  flames.  In  the  single 
glance  which  he  had  of  his  house  before  the  smoke 
returned,  he  saw  that  a  part  of  the  front  door  still 
clung  to  its  hinges,  and  that  it  was  partially  open* 
He  knew  that  it  had  a  stout  spring  lock.  He  knew 
that  he  closed  it  firmly  when  he  left  it.  Hence 
some  person  must  have  opened  the  door  from  the  inside, 
or  it  would  not  then  be  open  and  swinging  upon  its 
hinges.  He  saw  enough  to  give  him  a  hope  of  their 
escape.  Yes,  they  might  have  been  warned  in  time ! 
They  might  have  found  friends  !  And  thus  attempt- 
ing to  quiet  his  dreadful  apprehensions  he  turned 
away,  hoping  to  escape  while  yet  there  was  an  oppor- 
tunity. But  as  he  noticed  again  the  women  and 
children,  and  heard  them  so  pitifully  calling  after 
him,  he  said  to  himself,  "  These  are  some  other  men's 
loved  ones,  and  I  will  do  by  them  as  I  so  much  hope 
some  one  has  done  by  mine."  Then  he  hurried  them 
upon  their  feet,  told  them  he  could  take  them  to  a 


BUllNING  HOMES.  49 

place  of  safety,  called  to  another  forlorn  searcher 
like  himself  for  assistance ;  and,  with  many  a  burn 
and  heavy  tug  with  the  fainting  ladies  and  fear- 
stricken  children,  they  managed  to  avoid  other 
disasters,  and  landed  the  little  company  safely  in 
Carmarthen  Street,  and  started  them  on  their  way 
toward  the  barracks. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

INCIDENTS  OP  THE  FIRE. 

The  Culmination  of  the  Destruction.  — Death  by  Fire.  — A  Life,  or  a 
Dwelling?  —  Saving  a  Handful  of  "Wood.  —  Losing  Gold  Sove- 
reigns, —  Birth  of  Children  amid  the  Flames  and  on  the  Bay.  — 
Escape  by  Raft.  —The  Scene  from  Ballast  Wharf. 

rr^HE  shadows  which  slowly  fell  upon  the  ocean 
-*-  and  on  the  distant  hills  found  David  Tournay, 
in  common  with  thousands  of  his  townsmen,  still 
searching  for  his  loved  ones.  With  an  unnatural 
display  of  endurance,  he  had  passed  swiftly  from 
street  to  street,  had  encountered  the  fire  again  and 
again,  as  it  steadily  but  quickly  advanced  from 
house  to  house.  He  had  seen  the  destroying  flames, 
with  one  fiank  resting  upon  the  parade-ground  at 
the  end  of  the  peninsula,  and  the  other  upon  King 
Street,  marching  onward  with  solid  front,  and 
sweeping  every  thing  before  them  from  the  harbor  on 
the  west  to  Courtney  Bay  on  the  east.  He  had  wit- 
nessed terrible  scenes  of  suffering.  Men,  women, 
and  children  had  been  often  carried  by  him  with 

50 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  FIRE.  51 

burned  faces  or  scorched  limbs.  The  faces  of  the 
killed,  so  ghastly  and  horrible,  glared  from  under 
their  uncertain  covering,  as  the  uncouth,  steaming 
beaiers  hurried  them  on  to  those  f^nxious  but  hope- 
ful groups  which  in  health  and  joy  the  dead  had 
left  but  a  few  hours  before.  He  had  anxiously 
stared  into  humble  cottages,  had  unceremoniously 
burst  into  the  doors  of  deserted  mansions,  had 
scanned  the  groups  at  the  water's  edge,  and  the 
crowds  in  the  park,  and  had  called  upon  all  he  met 
with  whom  he  claimed  any  acquaintance,  and  upon 
many  who  knew  and  cared  nothing  for  him,  every- 
where asking  for  his  wife  and  child. 

Once  there  came  rushing  toward  him  an  old 
acquaintance,  known  to  all  the  people  as  one  of 
nature's  noblemen,  who  though  far  along  in  years, 
sadly  deaf,  and  bereft  by  this  calamity  of  his  house 
of  stone,  and  his  factory  in  which  for  years  he  and 
his  sons  had  driven  a  profitable  trade  in  window- 
sashes,  doors,  and  blinds,  was  yet  so  generous,  so 
forgetful  of  self,  as  to  be  unceasingly  active  in  sav- 
ing the  lives  and  property  of  others. 

"  John,"  said  Tournay,  putting  his  lips  close  to 
the  ear  of  his  friend,  "  have  you  seen  or  heard  any 
thing  of  my  wife  or  child  ?  " 

"  No,  I  ha,ve  not  seen  your  wife  and  child ;  but  I 
have  seen  many  wives  and  children  of  other  men, 


52  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

looking  for  their  husbands  and  fathers  :  sorry  yours 
were  not  among  them.  O  David  !  I  have  seen  such 
a  sight  to-day !  "  continued  he.  "  I  tremble  as  I 
think  of  it.  I  saw  a  woman  burned  to  death,  —  an 
old  lady,  the  mother  of  the  ex-mayor.  It  was  hard, 
hard,  hard!  She  came  into  my  house  after  I  had 
sent  all  my  folks  away  except  my  son  James ;  and 
she  sat  dow^  in  the  back  room,  just  as  if  she  was 
making  a  call.  James  told  me  she  was  theie  ;  and, 
as  the  houses  were  burning  all  around  mine,  I  told 
James  to  tend  the  hose,  and  keep  the  roof  wet, 
while  I  went  down  to  see  what  she  was  doing  there. 
I  walked  right  in  where  she  was,  and  saw  her  rock- 
ing back  and  forth,  talking  to  herself ;  but  of  course 
I  could  not  hear  what  she  said.  I  told  her  that 
everybody  had  left  the  street,  and  that  my  house 
was  likely  to  burn  with  the  others,  though  I  in- 
tended to  die  by  it;  and  I  took  hold  of  her,  and 
tried  to  lift  her  up,  but  she  would  not  move.  I 
saw,  as  she  looked  up  at  me,  and  refused  to  take  a 
step,  that  she  was  insane.  The  fire,  with  aU  its 
horrors,  had  actually  driven  her  mad.  I  saw  through 
the  window  that  the  rear  buildings  were  burning ; 
and  I  was  then  almost  suffocating  with  the  smoke 
that  sifted  into  the  house,  although  I  kept  a  wet 
silk  handkerchief  constantly  tied  over  my  mouth. 
'  Come,'  I  said :  '  you  must  go/    But  when  I  tried 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  FIRE.  53 

to  lift  her  out  of  the  chair,  she  sank  upon  the  floor. 
I  tugged  away  for  a  while,  but  I  soon  concluded 
that  I  could  not  save  her  and  the  house  too ;  and  the 
house  was  a  doubtful  matter  at  the  best.  So  I 
called  to  James,  and  told  him  we  must  get  this 
woman  away.  So  we  pulled  her  to  the  door ;  but 
when  she  saw  the  buildings  all  on  fire  about  us,  and 
blazing  terrifically  as  far  as  we  could  see  up  and 
down  the  street,  she  kicked  and  screamed,  and 
urged  us  to  let  her  die  just  there.  But  we  dragged 
her  into  the  street,  and  abandoned  the  old  home  to 
the  fire.  It  was  so  hot,  the  wet  handkerchief  over 
my  moath  steamed  like  a  boiling  kettle,  and  my 
hands  prickled  and  smarted,  and  every  breath  seemed 
to  singe  the  inside  of  my  throat  and  lungs.  Oh,  it 
was  so  hot !  James  took  the  old  lady  on  his  back, 
after  we  got  into  the  street ;  and  I  kept  alongside,  to 
shelter  him  and  her  from  the  heat ;  and  he  carried 
her  some  distance  that  way.  But  there  seemed  to 
be  no  end  to  the  destruction.  As  far  as  we  could 
see,  notliing  but  fire,  fire,  fire.  It  was  of  no  use. 
James  could  not  hold  out.  I  saw  he  was  tottering, 
and  I  told  him  to  stop,  and  let  the  woman  down  a 
moment ;  then  I  thought  I  would  take  her  myself. 
But  she  resisted  so  much,  and  was  so  determined  to 
be  burned,  that  I  could  not  possibly  manage  her 
alone.     James  was  fast  giving  way  to  the  heat  and 


54  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

smoke  :  so  I  says, '  Run,  James,  run  !  Keep  close  to 
the  ground.  Get  under  the  smoke,  and  take  breath. 
Keep  down  Main  Street  to  the  bay,  and  get  into  the 
water  as  quick  as  you  can.  Then  I  did  not  know 
what  to  do  next.  I  knelt  down,  and  pleaded  with 
her  to  get  up.  '  My  God  !  you  and  I  will  both  be 
burned  here  in  a  moment,  if  you  don't  get  up  and 
come  along.'  But  she  was  only  the  more  deter- 
mined to  remain.  So  I  drew  her  alongside  an  over- 
turned boat  which  lay  near  by,  and  threw  a  piece  of 
tarpaulin  over  her,  hoping  something  might  happen 
to  save  her ;  and  ran  for  my  life.  But  it  was  not 
five  minutes  before  the  boat  and  tarpaulin  were  seen 
blazing  like  a  tinder ;  and  she  must  have  burned  to 
ashes  alive  right  there."  *> 

But  David  Tournay  could  not  wait  to  hear  more 
of  his  old  friend's  details,  and  abruptly  left  the 
speaker  in  order  to  scrutinize  a  company  that  had 
waded  into  the  water  alongside  the  railway  dikes 
skirting  the  bay ;  but  his  wife  and  child  were  not 
there.  He  hurried  up  the  bank  to  a  vacant  lot, 
where  stood  an  abandoned  horse-car.  Smoke  and 
cinders  which  beat  upon  it,  and  the  floods  which 
volunteer  firemen  showered  upon  it,  made  it  an 
uncomfortable  but  safe  place  of  refuge.  Within 
that  strange  tenement,  a  poor  fainting,  exhausted 
woman   had   been   thrust   by   those   who   could  no 


INCIDENTS  OF  TEE  FIRE  55 

longer  carry  her  ;  and  there,  amid  the  thunders  and 
screechings  of  the  conflagration,  and  the  equally 
unearthly  screams  of  women  and  hallooing  of  men, 
she  gave  birth  to  a  child.  Of  all  the  terrors  and 
pains  of  that  night,  it  would  seem  as  if  such  an 
event  was  the  culmination  of  all  woe ;  yet  both 
mother  and  child  survived. 

Still  searching  along  the  shore,  wading  into  the 
water,  and  running  around  falling  walls,  until  every 
fibre  of  his  clothing  sent  out  puffs  of  steam,  he 
hurried  toward  the  International  Steamship  Wharf, 
where  he  was  told  a  crowd  of  women  had  collected. 

Night  had  come,  but  the  lurid  peninsula  melting 
with  heat  illuminated  the  landscape  for  a  hundred 
miles.  Ships  far  out  at  sea  showed  their  white  sails 
tinged  with  red.  The  Penitentiary  across  the  bay, 
the  Insane  Asylum  on  Carleton  Heights,  Reed's 
Castle  on  the  Portland  cliffs,  the  residences  along 
Manawaggonish  Road,  the  St.  John  River  for  many, 
mar.y  miles  inland,  Partridge  Island  in  the  bay,  and 
the  Carleton  Wards  on  the  western  shore,  were  all 
radiant  with  light.  The  glare  upon  distant  lawns, 
windows,  and  towers,  was  spectral,  red  as  blood,  and 
strangely  mingled  with  flickering,  uneasy  shadows ; 
but  yet  so  bright  that  the  clearest  noonday  was 
hardly  more  searcliing  and  distinct.  It  gave  a  weird, 
unreal  aspect  to  the  forms  of  men  and  women  as 


56  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

they  flitted  on  tlie  banks,  or  hastened  away  from  the 
melting  shore  in  boats,  scows,  and  rafts. 

At  one  point  the  approach  of  the  fire  was  so  swift 
that  the  bewildered  refugees  sought  an  asylum 
on  rafts  of  lumber,  and  floated  awkwardly  out  into 
the  bay.  On  one  of  the  most  crowded  of  these, 
where  men  were  holding  on  and  swimming  because 
there  was  no  room  for  more  to  stand,  another  child 
was  born.  Another  lumber-float  with  no  male  adult 
upon  it,  but  bearing  a  score  of  women  and  children, 
drifted  helplesL^ly  out  to  sea,  and  would  soon  have 
been  lost,  had  not  the  red  glare  of  the  burning  city 
showed  them  to  an  approaching  schooner.  When 
rescued,  the  conflict  between  wind  and  tide  had 
whirled  them  around  and  around,  until  all  were  too 
giddy  to  stand  upon  their  feet.  Upon  all  such  rafts 
as  these  along  the  shore,  David  Tournay  bent  his 
anxious  gaze;  but  his  wife  was  not  there.  He  leaped 
into  boats  near  the  shore,  and  shouted  to  others  in 
the  stream,  but  no  tidings  of  her  did  he  find  ;  but 
many  a  wretched  sufferer  did  he  meet,  and  many 
groans  and  sighs  and  prayers  did  he  hear,  until,  as 
he  says,  all  such  exhibitions  of  terror  or  grief  lost 
their  force,  and  became  stale  and  irksome  to  him. 

One  person  stopped  him  as  he  ran,  to  tell  how  he 
had  been  so  crazed  by  the  sudden  approach  of  the 
calamity,  that  he  unaccountably  left  all  his  valuables 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  FIRE.  57 

and  kecpsalces  in  the  house,  and  ran  half  a  mil© 
with  a  handful  of  cord-wood.  Another  told  him 
how  he  had  piled  his  best  furniture  into  his  cellar, 
and  turned  on  the  water,  hoping  to  fill  the  cellar 
from  the  aqueduct.  One  woman  had  laid  up,  in 
past  years,  an  old  coffee-pot  full  of  gold  sove^  igns ; 
and,  Avhen  she  left  her  house  that  afternoon,  she 
poured  the  gold  into  the  pocket  of  her  dress,  and, 
seizing  a  heavy  iron  fender,  lugged  that  heavy  piece 
of  metal  out  of  danger.  She  found,  however,  when 
she  was  so  far  out  of  the  heat  as  to  recover  her  self- 
possession,  that  the  weight  of  the  gold  had  torn 
away  her  pocket,  and  her  sovereigns  were  gone. 
All  she  liad  saved  from  a  house  full  of  valuable 
articles  of  furniture  and  decorations  was  a  useless 
iron  fender  which  the  fire  might  not  in  the  least 
have  harmed.  Several  other  Ladies  he  afterwards 
saw  who  had  lost  money  and  jewelry  by  the  tearing 
of  their  pockets  in  the  same  way. 

But  it  is  to  be  feared  that  Mr.  Tournay  did  not 
listen  very  deferentially,  or  wait  long  for  the  com- 
pletion of  such  tales.  His  mind  was  pre-occupied 
with  a  great,  inexpressible  sorrow.  Yet,  when  he 
found  himself  baffled  in  his  search  around  the  shores 
of  the  bay,  and  stood  hesitating  at  the  extreme  end 
of  the  peninsula  where  the  earthworks  and  the  can- 
non furnished  a  temporary  shelter  from  the  heat  of 


58  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

the  burning  barracks,  he  could  not  uvoid  giving 
expression  to  his  wonder,  as  he  gazed  up  the  sloping 
hillsides  on  which  the  city  had  stood.  * 

*' By  Heaven!  it  is  a  splendid  sight  to  see, 
For  one  who  hath  no  friend,  no  brother,  there.'* 

The  magnificence  of  the  spectacle  could  not  escape 
the  dullest  mind.  The  red  clouds  hanging  above, 
the  columns  and  shoots  of  flame  below,  the  wide- 
sj)read  glow  of  the  still  bright  embers,  the  strange 
outline  of  the  Germain-street  Church  in  its  pic- 
turesque ruins  against  the  illumined  smoke  beyond  ; 
the  Gothic  arches  of  the  Orphan  Asylum,  resplendent 
in  living  red ;  the  infinite  variety  of  shape  and  color 
the  ruins  had  everywhere  assumed ;  the  shifting 
banks  of  smoke,  the  delicate  blushes  of  the  water  on 
either  hand ;  the  intermingling  of  blue,  carnation, 
crimson,  yellow,  and  white,  with  kaleidoscopic 
changes  in  ruin,  cloud,  and  sea,  made  an  impression 
which  the  beLolder  can  never  efface.  It  was  not 
lost  upon  Mr.  Tournay.  A  whole  city  in  embers ! 
Such  a  bonfire  may  the  world  never  see  again  I 
Those  streets  he  knew  so  well  were  undistinguishable 
from  the  foundations  of  dwellings.  All  alike  seemed 
burning.  Those  houses,  those  churches,  those  trees, 
those  warehouses,  those  banks,  which  had  grown  so 
familiar  to  him,  were  reduced  to  dust  and  crumbling 
heaps  of  coals. 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  FIRE.  59 

How  was  it  with  himself,  —  he  that  was  so  happy, 
so  rich,  so  successful,  so  loved,  so  respected,  in  the 
morning  ?  How  is  it  now  with  him  ?  Can  it  be 
that  so  soon  he  is  wifeless,  childless,  penniless  ?  A 
mourner  and  a  beggar !  Yet  he  was  but  one  of 
many.  Sad  hours  are  often  seen  by  all  mankind; 
but  where  are  there  any  sadder  than  those  of  that 
long  night  to  the  homeless,  stricken  people  of  Saint 
John  ? 


CHAPTER  V. 

IN  THE  ^VICINITY  OF   KING'S  SQUARE. 

Tho  Stationary  Vehicle.  —  The  Merchandise  in  King's  Square.  — 
Appearance  of  the  Refugees.  —  The  Old  Burying-Ground.  —  The 
Shelterless  Ones.  —  Removal  to  New  Homes. 

TT  was  late  in  the  night  when  Mr.  Toumay  suc- 
-■-  ceeded  in  fighting  his  way  against  heat,  water, 
and  human  crowds,  back  to  the  foot  of  Orange 
Street  on  the  shore  of  Courtney  Bay ;  but  the  fire 
was  not  even  there  wholly  overcome.  Here  and 
there  houses  caught  and  blazed  most  furiously,  which 
had  been  up  to  that  hour  successfully  defended.  But 
the  few  buildings  which  were  left  at  the  water's 
edge  were  so  accessible  to  the  steam  fire-engines, 
and  the  force  of  the  aqueduct  was  so  great  at  these 
low  points,  that  water  was  to  be  had  in  abundance. 
So  many  people  had  opened  the  faucets  in  their 
houses,  and  were  using  their  hose  so  generally  when 
the  fire  approached  the  principal  streets,  that  the 
supply  on  the  highest  portion  of  the  mountainous 
city  ran  short  for  the  fire-«ngines.     The  water  would 

60 


IN  THE   VICINITY  OF  KING'S  SQUARE.  $i 

scarcely  flow  while  the  fire  raged  the  fiercest,  so 
great  was  the  quantity  taken  and  wasted  by  the  peo- 
ple. But  in  the  lower  and  outlying  districts  there 
was  water  in  abundance,  and  buildings  there  could 
be  saved ;  yet,  wlien  Tournay  passed  by  Orange 
Street,  the  heat  was  still  so  intense  that  any  house 
fronting  the  conflagration,  though  constantly  satu- 
rated with  water,  would  dry  in  one  moment,  and 
spring  into  a  flame  the  next.  One  such  house  had 
been  defended  for  more  than  an  hour,  when  the  draft 
of  water  by  the  fire-engines  on  Pitt  Street  lessened 
the  supply  at  this  point.  Almost  instantly  the 
structure  ignited  along  the  whole  front. 

The  men,  seeing  it  useless  to  work  longer  upon  the 
building,  drove  a  horse  close  to  the  rear  door,  and 
backed  the  wagon  upon  the  sidewalk.  When  Mr. 
Tournay  came  up,  they  had  heaped  the  vehicle  with 
household  goods,  had  shouted  themselves  hoarse  at 
the  motionless  animal,  had  kicked  and  clubbed  him, 
pulled  at  his  bridle,  and  pushed  at  the  wheel ;  but 
the  load  did  not,  would  not,  move.  The  beast  seemed 
to  try  his  strength,  and  although  the  load  stood  on 
an  inclined  plane  it  would  not  move.  Almost  beside 
themselves  with  surprise  and  vexation,  the  laborers 
danced  about  and  screamed  at  that  hors«5 ;  and  at  last, 
driven  away  by  the  increasing  heat,  they  left 
the  poor  beast  and  his  load  to  the  destroyer.     They 


62  *    GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

felt  sure,  however,  that  the  horse  would  soon  start 
rather  than  stand  and  be  burned  to  death ;  i  nd  they 
lay  by  and  watched  for  him.  Mr.  Tournay  was 
hastening  to  their  assistance,  when  the  falling  of  a 
roof  near  by  them  drove  them  farther  away ;  and, 
availing  himself  of  his  charred  blanket  which  he  still 
carried,  he  ran  up  to  the  trembling  animal,  a'^.d  took 
hold  of  the  bridle.  But  the  horse  would  not  start,  or 
could  not  do  so  ;  yet  the  beast  seemed  to  appreciate 
his  danger,  and  shivered  like  an  aspen,  looking  at 
his  load  with  a  frightened  and  pleading  expression, 
and  making  a  plaintive  whining  noise.  The  load 
was  blazing  high,  when  Mr.  Tournay  groped  along 
to  the  hindermost  wheels,  thinking  to  try  one  push, 
and  if  unsuccessful  to  release  the  animal  from  the 
shafts.  There,  as  the  smoke  drifted  for  a  moment 
another  way,  he  saw  the  difficulty.  For  the  driver 
in  his  haste  had  dropped  the  chain  he  used  to  secure 
the  end-board  of  the  wagon,  over  the  crown  of  an 
iron  post  or  hydrant ;  and  a  dozen  horses  could  not 
break  that  chain,  or  extract  the  post.  A  sharp  pull 
at  the  wheel,  a  quick  lifting  of  the  chain,  and  the 
wagon  was  released.  Who  knows  but  the  horse 
iinderstood  the  situation,  and  was  thankful  as  he  was 
led  by  the  bridle  i^to  Crown  Street,  and  the  fire  in 
the  load  extinguished  ? 

From    Crown    Street,    Mr.    Tournay    proceeded 


IN  THE   VICINITY  OF  KING'S  SQUARE.  62 

through  Union  Street  and  Sidney  Street  to  King's 
Square,  stopping  frequently  at  some  doorway  on 
these  remaining  streets  where  little  companies  were 
assembled,  and  asking  for  news  of  his  wife  and  child. 
In  the  glare  of  the  now  dying  fires,  he  recognized 
many  old  friends,  some  who  spoke  cheerfully  of  their 
prospects,  some  who  appeared  wholly  disheartened, 
some  who  had  lost  all  their  property,  some  who  had 
no  hope  of  payment  although  insured  in  various 
small  companies,  some  who  were  badly  burned, 
some  whose  friends  had  been  killed  or  badly 
maimed ;  but  not  one  of  them  had  seen  Mr.  Tour- 
nay's  companion  or  daughter. 

No  one  in  the  city  slept  that  night ;  all  came  into 
that  section  of  the  city  which  had  been  saved  from 
the  destroyer,  and  in  subdued  whispers  and  half- 
concealed  undertones  talked  of  the  calamity,  and 
magnified  its  horrors  by  rumors  of  many  terrible 
things  which  could  not  possibly  happen.  King's 
Square  presented  a  motley  scene  indeed,  —  half 
human  beings,  half  merchandise,  interminably  en- 
tangled, so  that  any  man  whom  the  police  allowed 
to  enter  was  in  a  continuous  state  of  doubt  whether 
the  bundles  and  heaps  about  him.  were  animate  or 
inanimate.  This  had  been  the  general  depository 
of  all  the  property  saved  from  the  fire ;  and  stacks 
of  merchandise,  of  enormous  value,  at  one  time  cov- 


64  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

ered  its  walks"  and  lawns.  But  at  the  first  opportu- 
nity furnished  by  some  neighbor  who  opened  his 
house,  store,  manufactory,  or  stable,  to  their  recep- 
tion, the  goods  were  as  hastily  removed  as  they  had 
been  delivered ;  so  that  teams  and  porters  were  com- 
ing and  going  in  endless  procession,  while  the  fear 
of  thieves  kept  a  strong  force  of  volunteer  watch- 
men about  each  owner's  stock.  Here  were  men 
searching  for  lost  articles,  the  location  of  which  they 
had  forgotten.  Here  were  women  and  children  with 
quilts  and  shawls  over  their  heads,  seated  on  a  heap 
of  household  property,  so  hastily  thrown  together, 
guarding  their  only  remaining  possessions.  Here 
were  a  number  of  trunks,  whose  owners  believed 
them  destroyed,  and  on  one  of  which  two  little  girls 
sat  crying  for  their  father  and  mother ;  while  all 
about  the  greensward  men,  women,  and  children 
were  sitting,  lying,  or  standing,  not  knowing  where 
to  go,  or  waiting  the  return  of  some  messenger  sent 
out  for  succor.  Over  the  whole  space  were  scattered 
pieces  of  almost  every  thing  merchantable.  All 
trades,  professions,  and  occupations  had  contributed 
toward  the  motley  collection ;  and  in  the  hasty  re- 
moval with  such  uncertain  light  (the  lamps  being 
extinguished)  specimens  of  almost  every  deposit 
were  left  behind  to  clog  the  feet  of  those  who  fol- 
lowed. 


IN  THE   VICINITY  OF  KING'S  SQUARE.  65 

But  the  saddest  scenes  of  all  were  witnessed  ii? 
the  old  burying-ground  situated  on  the  other  side 
of  Sidney  Street  and  nearly  opposite  King's  Square. 
To  the  numbers  who  crowded  that  dismal  locality, 
especially  so  in  the  dead  of  night,  thousands  of 
homes  had  contributed. 

No  real  home  needs  velvets,  laces,  or  diamonds,  to 
make  it  dear.  The  forlorn  one  who  had  parted 
with  but  a  few  dollars'  worth  of  household  articles 
was  as  deeply  pained  at  the  loss  of  that  as  he  who 
counted  the  value  of  his  mansion's  trimmings  by 
thousands  of  pounds.  The  husband  whose  beard 
was  rough,  whose  hands  were  calloused,  and  whose 
speech  was  untutored  and  coarse,  had  the  same 
value  in  the  eyes  of  his  wife  as  that  which  the  wife 
of  the  rich  and  cultured  man  placed  upon  his  life. 
The  child  of  the  fisherman  or  lumberman  was  as 
dear  to  his  parents,  and,  under  the  thorough  free- 
school  system  of  such  a  city,  was  as  sure  of  arriving 
at  distinction,  as  the  son  of  the  wealthiest  official. 
Here  they  were  huddled  among  the  graves,  broken 
scattered  families  ;  a  son,  a  daughter,  a  sister,  a 
brother,  a  parent,  in  the  list  of  missing.  Sad  field 
of  sorrow !  the  very  sward  was  wet  with  tears.  It 
is  certain  that  never  before  since  the  cemetery  was 
consecrated  had  such  things  been  witnessed  there  ; 
and  it  is  doubtful  if  the  old  Loyalists  themselves, 


66  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

whose  imposing  tombs  tell  of  so  much  adventure  and 
privation,  ever  witnessed  such  keen  and  heart-break- 
ing anxiety  as  that  possessing  the  minds  of  those 
who  that  night  trod  thoughtlessly  upon  the  Loyal- 
ists' graves,  nearly  all  waiting  for  some  dear  one  who 
might  never,  never  come. 

"Katie!  Katie!  Is  that  you?"  asked  Mr.  Tour- 
nay,  as  he  entered  the  cemetery,  and  thought  he  saw 
the  form  of  his  kitchen-maid  passing  under  the 
trees. 

"  O  Lord  !  have  you  come  alive,  —  sure  ?  "  almost 
screamed  Katie,  as  she  recognized  the  voice,  and 
rushed  toward  him  with  a  bound.  "  Where  is  mis- 
tress ?  where  is  Ethel  ?  *'  added  she,  in  the  same 
breath. 

"  O  Katie  !  haven't  you  seen  them  ?  Where  did 
you  leave  them?  Did  they  escape?"  frantically 
pleaded  the  husband  and  father,  as  he  seized  the 
shoulder  of   the  girl   with  a  grasp  that   made   her 


crmge. 


"  I  don't  know,  sir,"  said  she.  "  I  heard  the  fire 
a-coming,  and  I  ran  out  the  front  way  ;  and  I  didn't 
see  them  at  all." 

He  turned  from  her  as  if  he  had  been  stung  by  a 
serpent.  It  was  Katie,  then,  who  opened  the  front- 
door of  his  dwelling,  and  not  his  wife,  as  he  had  so 
much  hoped.     Hope  gave  place  to  dismay  ;  and  the 


IN  THE   VICINITY  OF  KING'S  SQUARE.  67 

exhausted,  heart-broken  man  dropped  upon  the  grass 
and  groaned. 

Strangers  came,  and  tried  to  comfort  him.  They 
told  him  that  many  had  escaped  from  Queen's  Square ; 
that  his  wife  might  be  off  in  a  boat  or  schooner. 
But  he  would  not  be  comforted.  At  last  there 
came  by  him  a  gentleman  who  had  known  Mr. 
Tournay,  and  had  been  a  visitor  at  his  house.  As 
he  heard  Mr.  Tournay  wailing  so  piteously,^  he 
stopped  to  ascertain  the  cause.  Kneeling  by  the 
mourner,  and  failing  to  recognize  him  because  of  his 
torn  coat,  singed  whiskers,  sooty  face,  and  the  uncer- 
tain light,  he  bade  him  look  on  the  brighter  side. 
Mr.  Tournay,  however,  recognized  the  voice,  and, 
discovering  that  his  friend  did  not  know  him,  said, 
"  Manseur,  don't  you  remember  me  since  yesterday  ? 
Oh,  my  wife  and  child  I  oh,  my  poor  child !  " 

"'  Heavens,  David  !  I  can  hardly  believe  your  own 
lips.  Are  you  really  alive  ?  Why,  we  heard  you 
Avere  burned  in  the  store  after  the  others  had  left. 
And  your  wife,  too,  thinks  you  are  dead." 

"  My  wife  !  "  shouted  David.  "  Have  you  seen 
her  ?  and  Ethel  ?  Are  they  living  ?  If  you  say  no, 
I  certainly  shall  die." 

"  Come  with  me,  and  I  will  show  them  to  you," 
said  his  friend,  leading  the  way  briskly  around  the 
tombs  to  cLie  other  side  of  the   cemetery.      David 


68  ^     GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN.         . 

Tournay  followed  in  silence.  He  could  not  speak. 
The  re-action  was  so  great  that  he  gasped  for  breath, 
and  great  tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks.  Under  a 
small  shade- tree  in  one  corner  of  the  city  of  the 
dead,  in  the  shadow  of  the  Court  House,  which 
stood  between  them  and  the  ruins,  was  a  blanket 
spread  upon  the  grass ;  and  upon  it  la-j  the  sick  and 
almost  dying  girl.  Kneeling  beside  her,  and  holding 
one  of  her  hands,  with  transparent  face  and  closed 
eyes,  was  her  grief-stricken  mother. 

"  Mrs.  Tournay,"  said  the  guide  in  a  half- whis- 
per, "  don't  disturb  your  daughter,  hut  I  have  brought 
you  your  husbmid.^'' 

"  O  David,  David !  '*  was  all  that  was  said. 

Soon  they  took  up  the  feeble  girl,  and  carried  her 
tenderly  to  a  hospitable  though  humble  home,  where 
they  laid  her  on  a  bed  soft  as  her  own,  and  called  the 
nearest  physician.  Long  and  anxiously  they  awaited 
his  coming ;  and  when  he  had  made  his  visit,  and 
left  his  prescription,  they  were  as  uneasy  and  uncer- 
tain about  the  invalid  as  before.  He  said  it  might 
be  all  right,  but  she  was  exhausted :  she  might 
rally,  and  "  the  best  thing  to  do  was  to  hope  for  the 
best." 

As  the  hours  passed,  and  morning  came,  little 
Ethel  slept ;  and  the  father  and  mother  watched  by 
her  bedside,   telling  each  other  in   whispers  theii 


IN  THE   VICINITY  OF  KING'S  SQUARE.  6S 

adventures  in  the  fire.  She  told  him  how  Ethel  had 
awakened  her  to  see  the  fire  alonsj  the  window- 
casings ;  how  in  terror  she  seized  the  coverlet,  and, 
wrapping  the  girl  in  it,  carried  her  in  great  fright  to 
thd  front  stairs,  where  she  saw  so  much  smoke  enter- 
ing by  the  open  door  that  she  retreated  into  the  front 
chamber.  She  told  how  she  screamed  for  help  from 
the  window ;  how  at  last  she  desperately  dropped 
from  the  window  into  the  yard,  with  Ethel  held  by 
one  hand  ;  and  how  near  she  came  to  losing  her  hold 
upon  her  precious  charge.  She  told  how  she  ran  to 
the  house  of  a  friend;  how  they  were  driven  from 
that  by  the  flames ;  how  she  sought  and  found  an- 
other place  of  refuge,  from  which  she  was  again 
driven ;  and  how  she  determined  to  go  to  no  more 
dwellings,  but  seek  the  burial-ground,  where  she 
was  told  the  smoke  and  fire  could  not  come.  But 
a  short  time  before  he  came  to  her,  they  had  told  her 
that  he  was  dead. 

They  talked  it  over  and  over  again,  enumerated 
their  losses,  sighed  when  they  thought  of  their 
home,  wept  when  they  talked  of  their  all  swept 
thus  suddenly  away;  but  gathered  hope  as  they 
planned  for  years  of  work  instead  of  the  rest  they 
had  anticipated,  and  realized  of  how  little  conse- 
quence, after  all,  property  was  to  them  who  had 
each  other  —  and  Ethel. 


.* 


70  *  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Alas,  poor  little  Ethel !  The  agitation,  the  expos- 
ure, the  heat,  the  smoke,  all  combined  to  overcome 
her  feeble  strength,  and  their  effects  were  fatal. 
Twelve  hours  later,  a  little  company  of  friends 
gathered  at  her  bedside,  where  her  parents  held  her 
pale  hands  as  she  calmly,  peacefully,  after  twelve 
years  of  life,  left  this  world  of  terror,  for  that  realm 
of  beauty  where  terrors  of  earthquake,  tempest,  and 
fire  never  come. 

She  was  none  the  less  a  victim  of  the  fire,  because 
her  name  appears  not  in  the  list  of  the  killed.  How 
many,  many  others  there  were  who  suffered  and 
died  in  the  same  way,  the  world  will  never  know. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  PEOPLE  BEFORE  THE  FIRE. 

The  Metropolis  of  New  Brunswick.  —  Character  of  its  Founders.— 
Culture  of  the  People. — Public  and  Private  Enterprise.  —  Pub- 
lic Buildings,  Coiuuierce,  Manufacturing,  &c. 

"TT  is  a  most  difficult  task  to  write  a  history  of 
-*-  such  an  event  as  this,  with  that  conciseness  of 
detail  which  would  please  the  people  living  in  the 
locality  of  the  disaster,  and  at  the  same  time  make 
a  volume  of  sufficient  interest  to  attract  and  hold 
those  readers  who  are  unacquainted  with  the  city, 
and  take  no  interest  in  local  names  and  places ;  but 
to  inform  by  facts  and  please  by  completeness  both 
of  those  classes,  will  be  the  writer's  earnest  endeav- 
or. Yet,  as  we  write  mainly  for  readers  who  are 
strangers  to  St.  John,  expecting  to  find  our  audience 
more  in  the  United  States,  England,  and  Canada, 
than  in  New  Brunswick,  and  as  a  gifted  writer  who 
is  a  resident  of  St.  John  ^  will  produce  a  most  valua- 
ble record  of  the  great  disaster,  as  we  sincerely  hope 

1  Mr.  George  Stuart. 
___ ^  ^- 


72  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

* 

and  believe,  we  try  to  look  upon  the  people  and  the 
calamity  as  an  impartial  stranger  would  view  them, 
and  write  more  especially  of  those  things  which  a 
foreigner  might  wish  to  see  and  understand. 

Although  the  city  of  St.  John  was  not  the  legisla- 
tive capital  of  New  Brunswick,  it  was  socially,  intel- 
lectually, and  commercially,  the  metropolis  of  the 
Province.  Its  fifty  thousand  peoples  were  unusually 
cultivated  and  enterprising.  The  rocky  peninsula 
was  selected  as  a  site  for  a  city  by  those  expatri- 
ated loyalists  from  Massachusetts,  New  York,  and 
Virginia,  who  were  known  at  the  time  of  their  exile 
in  1783  as  the  most  polished  and  learned  men  on 
the  continent.  They  sought  these  huge,  uninviting 
cliffs  as  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  sought  the  ledges  of 
Plj^mouth  Rock.       • 

*'  Ay,  call  it  holy  ground,  — 

The  soil  where  first  they  trod  ; 
They  have  left  unstained  what  there  they  found,  — 
Freedom  to  worship  God." 

They  were  men  who  loved  old  England,  and  had  no 
faith  in  the  success  of  the  dangerous  experiment 
being  tried  by  the  colonies ;  men  who  revered  old 
institutions,  and  despised  iconoclasts ;  men  to  whom 
Chaucer,  Raleigh,  Milton,  Taylor,  Lamb,  Goldsmith, 
and  Shakespeare  were   patterns   of  literary  excel- 


TUE  PEOPLE  BEFORE  THE  FIRE.  78 

lence,  and  to  whom  William  Pitt  was  a  model  states- 
man. They  clung  with  ardent  affection  to  the  land 
and  the  nation  which  had  produced  such  characters, 
and  cared  not  to  exchange  it  for  a  commonwealth 
which  had  no  name,  no  history,  no  literature,  and  no 
art.  They  were  sincere  enough  to  fight  for  their 
convictions:  thence  the  short-sighted  people  of  the 
United  States  sent  them  awa3^and  in  so  doing  made 
the  great,  liberal,  tolerant,  generous  nation  they 
founded  often  blush  with  shame. 

Such  men  as  these,  including  in  their  number 
distinguished  lawyers,  orators,  statesmen,  soldiers, 
professors,  merchants,  and  hardy  tradesmen,  were 
they  who  founded  the  city.  Such  as  they  have  been 
their  descendants.  As  like  produces  like,  as  men  of 
similar  tastes  seek  the  society  of  each  other,  so  the 
children  of  the  founders,  and  the  companions  they 
drew  to  them  from  the  mother  country,  were  men 
and  women  who  respected  genuine  worth,  encour- 
aged education,  and  assisted  the  industrious. 

Such  were  the  people  to  whom  this  great  horror 
came.  Public  schools  they  had,  and  private  acade- 
mies. Libraries  they  had,  both  public  and  private, 
and  were  eminently  a  reading  people.  Churches 
and  an  imposing  cathedral  they  had,  being  no  less  a 
church-going,  God-fearing  people,  than  a  studious  and 
industrious  one.     Banks  they  had,  whose  paper  was 


74  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

current  in  the  whole  circuit  of  the  world,  and  in  the 
vaults  of  which  when  the  visitation  came  were  over 
fifty  millions  of  dollars.  Wharves  they  had,  to  which 
every  clime  and  land  had  been  tributary,  and  from 
which  their  own  ships  departed  for  almost  every 
known  port.  Manufactories  they  had,  competing 
with  the  imports  from  Europe.  Hospitals  they  had, 
for  the  disabled  in  body  and  the  deranged  in  mind  ; 
asylums  for  the  orphan,  the  widow,  the  pauper; 
halls  for  public  assemblies ;  theatres  for  dramas, 
lectures,  and  balls  ;  markets  with  the  products  of 
every  climate  ;  h,otels  that  were  commodious  ;  news- 
papers published  by  enterprising,  conscientious  men ; 
and  all  the  conveniences  of  light,  water,  sewerage, 
and  communication,  which  are  the  pride  of  modern 
civilization.  Connected  with  all  these  were  the 
plainest  indications  of  economy  i  born,  no  doubt,  from 
the  frugal,  unostentatious  habits  of  the  people,  com- 
bined with  the  enormous  expense  they  necessarily 
incurred  in  cutting  down  the  cliffs  and  hewing  their 
streets  and  sewers  through  solid  rock.  They  were 
a  happy  people.  They  were  not  possessed  of  enor- 
mous wealth ;  but  they  had  enough,  and  they  knew 
it.     They  were  active,  yet  contented. 

Why,  in  the  providence  of  God,  such  a  desolation 
should  come  to  such  a  people,  sweeping  away  in 
its  unsparing  malignity  Bible  depositories,  religious 


THE  PEOPLE  BEFORE  THE  FIRE.  75 

schools,  and  beautiful  churches,  on  which  the  pros- 
I)erity  of  the  faith  seemed  to  depend,  is  one  of  those 
questions  which  everj  one  asks,  but  no  one  can 
answer. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  CITY  BEFORE  THE  FIRE. 

The  Situation  of  the  Citv.  — The  Dwellings. —The  Public  Build- 
inga.  —  The  Churches.  —  The  Environs.  —  The  Scenery.  —  The 
Harbor.  —  The  Business  Enterprises.  ; 

rr^IIE  city  of  St.  John  was  not  a  beautiful  city 
to  the  eye  of  the  merely  sesthetical  observer, 
although  there  were  squares,  parks,  and  shaded 
streets,  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  the  landscape. 
Situated  upon  a  peninsula  which  projected  far  into 
the  bay,  and  confined  to  that  j)romontory  by  more 
barren  and  almost  inaccessible  cliffs  upon  the  land- 
ward side,  the  people  availed  themselves  of  every 
attainable  spot  within  the  city  limits  to  build  their 
houses,  stores,  and  shops.  This  gave  to  the  streets 
a  somev/hat  crowded  appearance,  more  especially 
outside  of  the  fire  precinct,  where  the  buildings 
were  largely  constructed  from  wood,  and  withr  it 
that  unity  of  design  which  would  have  resulted 
from  a  greater  desire  for  architectural  effect,  and 

less  attention  to  the  necessities  and  expenses  of  the 
_       76     . 


THE  CITY  BEFORE  THE  FIRE,  77 

constructors.  But  within  the  fire-limits,  Avhere  the 
owners  of  land  were  confined  to  the  use  of  non-com- 
l)ustible  material  in  the  construction  of  their  build- 
ings, the  streets  had  a  neat  and  thrifty  appearance. 
Some  of  the  warehouses  were  imposing  and  com- 
modious buildings,  arranged  and  ornamented  after 
the  drawings  of  tlie  most  skilful  architects  on  the 
continent. 

The  cliurches  were  usually  small,  but  the  number 
of  tliem  was  very  large  in  proportion  to  the  number 
of  inliabitants.  There  were  several  exceptions,  how- 
ever, to  the  general  rule  as  to  the  diminutiveness  of 
church  structures,  including  St.  Stephen's  Churcji 
(Church  of  Scotland),  Trinity  Church  (Church  of 
England),  and  the  Germain-street  Baptist  edifice ; 
while  the  Catholic  Cathedral  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  on  Waterloo  Street,  still  standing,  is  a 
grand  edifice  two  hundred  feet  long  and  one 
hundred  and  ten  feet  wide,  and  cost  one  hundred 
thousam^  dollars.  There  were  various  public  school 
buildi;'[,s,  a  spacious  skating-rink,  a  jVIechanics' 
Institute  with  a  hall  that  seats  twelve  hundred 
and' tors,  a  fine  Court  House,  Custom  House,  a 
gynuiasium  and  a  lyceum ;  but  so  scattered  were 
these,  that  they  could  not  be  counted  as  adding 
much  to  the  beauty  or  symmetry  of  .the  city. 
;     Yet,  set   as   it  was  within  a  circle   of  attractive 


78  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

suburbs,  with  a  river  on  one  side,  which  rises  and 
falls,  surges  and  roars,  between  precipitous  cliffs  in 
a  most  romantic  manner;  with  a  bay  that  shimmered 
and  sparkled  between  gently  receding  shores  of  for- 
est and  lawn,  and  cheerfully  bubbled  and  gurgled 
about  the  rocky  island  which  bears  the  light-house 
tower ;  with  views  of  summer  retreats,  hedged  fields, 
and  cultivated  hills,  to  the  eastward,  beyond  which 
the  eyesight  was  lost  in  mountainous  forests  of 
evergreen ;  and  with  rocks  that  rose  in  towers  to 
the  northward,  upon  which  were  suburban  parks, 
mansions,  and,  beyond  them,  plateaus  of  field  and 
grove  stretching  away  to  the  wide  raft  and  schooner 
dotted  river,  —  the  ci^y  was,  after  all,  one  of  the 
most  inviting  and  exhilarating  of  resorts  for  those 
who  admired  the  beauties  of  nature  in  their  most 
varied  forms.  "--■' 

Looking  upon  the  city  with  a  view  to  its  commer- 
cial advantages,  visitors  found  commodious  wharves, 
ample  anchorage,  and  a  thicket  of  masts,  with  all 
the  activity  in  the  streets  and  wholesale  warehouses 
which  accompany  such  enterprises.  In  the  ship 
yards  there  were  vessels  on  the  stocks ;  in  the  tribu 
tary  waters  there  were  countless  rafts  of  manufactured 
lumber,  and  indications  everywhere  of  active,  per- 
manent business  growth. 

Manufactories  of  edge-tools,  nails,  boots  and  shoes, 


THE  CITY  BEFORE  THE  FIRE. 


79 


brick,  carriages,  furniture,  iron-work,  leather,  lum- 
ber, woollen  and  cotton  cloths,  brushes,  watches, 
books,  spices,  pianos,  cigars,  rope,  and  many  other 
articles,  were  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

Upon  such  a  city  as  this  did  the  dread  destroyer 
come.  What  a  commentary  upon  the  instability 
and  uncertainty  of  man's  most  permanent  institu- 
tions I  and  what  an  admonition  its  history  contains, 
enjoining  us  to  be  profoundly  thankful  that  we  who 
write  and  we  who  read  have  been  spared,  while  a 
people  our  equal  in  every  thing  that  is  deserving  and 
noble  have  been  so  greatly  afi^cted  I 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

HISTOEICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN. 

From  1604  to  1775.  —Discovery  by  the  French.  —  Fort  La  Tour.  — 
Contest  between  La  Tour  and  Cbarnisay.  —  Grant  of  Lands.  —  In- 
dian "Wars.  —  Pirates.  —  Expeditious  from  Boston.  —  "War  be- 
tween the  English  and  French.  — Naval  Engagements.  — Capture 
of  Fort  La  Tour.  —  Erection  of  a  Blockhouse. 

TT  will  give  the  interested  inquirer  a  more  com- 
-^  prehensive  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  destruction, 
to  insert  here  a  condensed  sketch  of  the  history 
of  Saint  John  and  its  environs.  Such  a  chronicle 
must,  however,  be  greatly  condensed  to  admit  of  its 
publication  in  a  book  of  this  character ;  and,  should 
the  student  desire  to  follow  the  matter  into  its  ex- 
citing and  romantic  details,  he  cannot  find  a  volume 
so  complete,  or  peruse  a  story  more  delightfully  told, 
than  "  The  History  of  Acadia,"  by  James  Hannay, 
soon  to  be  published.  To  the  author  of  that  interest- 
ing work  we  are  indebted  for  the  facts  which  follow, 
together  with  murh  useful  information  on  other 
subjects,  so  kindly  given  during  our  search  among 


// 


-^^ 


V  ■  -i  - 


v'^^ 


^  -^ 


!— .i-ii"!  J    1  rinn 


.^^^ 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH   OF  SAINT  JOHN.  81 

the  ruins  of  his  city   and  around  the  ashes  of  his 

home. 

As  early  as  the  24th  of  June,  1604,  a  little  French 
ship  sailed  into  the  bay  now  known  as  tlie  harbor  of 
Saint  John.  She  Avas  a  paltry  craft,  measured  by 
modern  standards,  smaller  than  many  of  the  coasting 
schooners  of  the  present  day;  but  she  carried  the 
germ  of  an  empire,  for  Champlain,  De  Monts,  and 
Poutrincourt,  the  founders  of  New  France,  were  on 
her  deck.  Champlain's  chart  of  the  harbor  shows 
how  carefully  he  scanned  his  new  discovery,  and 
how  little  the  great  natural  features  of  the  place 
have  changed  in  271  years.  The  rugged  hills  about 
Saint  John  were  then  covered  with  pines  and  cedars ; 
and  on  Navy  Island,  which  was  then  separated  from 
the  mainland  on  the  Carleton  side  by  a  much  narrower 
channel  than  now,  was  a  collection  of  Indian  wig- 
wams surrounded  by  a  high  palisade. 

The  savages  who  then  dwelt  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Saint  John  were  Micmacs,  called  by  the  French  Souri- 
quois,  the  Malicetes  or  Etchemius  being  then  confined 
to  the  upper  parts  of  the  river,  which  they  called 
WoUastook,  or  Long  River.  By  the  Micmacs  it  was 
called  Wigoudy^  or  the  Great  Highway.  Champlain 
regarded  himself  as  its  first  discoverer,  and  in  honor 
of  the  day,  that  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  gave  the 
river   the   name   which  it  has  ever   since   retained. 


82  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

But,  though  Lent  on  founding  a  colony,  he  did  not 
linger  iit  tlie  mouth  of  the  Saint  John,  hu.  spread  his 
sails  for  a  longer  flight,  and  turned  the  prow  of  his 
vessel  toward  the  fatal  Island  of  St.  Croix.  Seven 
years  after  this,  in  IGll,  Father  Edmond  Masse,  a 
Jesuit  father,  was  found  livinfx  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Saint  John,  and,  in  the  midst  of  all  the  discomforts 
incidental  to  a  life  amongst  the  savages,  endeavoring 
to  learn  their  language.  But  his  residence  there 
was  short,  and  then  the  locality  is  without  a  history 
for  nearly  twenty  years. 

In  IGoO  Charles  Amador  de  la  Tour,  a  French 
nohleman,  who  was  lieutenant-general  to  the  king  on 
the  coast  of  Acadia,  as  that  country  was  then  called, 
connnenced  to  build  a  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Saint 
John.  The  spot  selected  was  the  neck  of  land  on  the 
Carleton  side,  opposite  to  Navy  Island ;  and  Fort  La 
Tour,  as  finally  completed,  was  a  palisaded  fort  of 
four  bastions  two  hundred  feet  square,  and  mounting 
twenty-four  guns.  La  Tour  lived  here  for  many  years, 
and  generally  had  two  or  three  Imndred  servants 
and  retainers  about  him.  He  traded  largely  wdtb 
the  Indians,  as  many  as  three  thousand  moose-skins 
being  brought  in  from  the  Upper  St.  John  and  its 
tributaries  in  a  single  year,  besides  large  numbers  of 
beaver.  La  Tour  had  an  enormous  territory,  and  held 
a  portion  of  his  land  by  a  double  title,  from  the  com- 


HISTORICAL.  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  83 

pany  of  New  France,  and  from  Sir  William  Alexan- 
der, the  grantee  of  James  I.  of  England.  In  1640 
violent  differences  arose  between  La  Tour  and  d'Aul- 
nay  Charnisay,  who  had  a  fort  at  Port  Royal, 
now  Annapolis,  and  was  also  a  grantee  of  the  com- 
pany of  New  France.  He  succeeded  in  having 
La  Tour's  commission  from  the  king  revoked,  and  an 
order  issued  for  his  arrest,  under  the  hand  of  Louis 
XIIL,  which  La  Tour  treated  with  contempt.  In 
lG4o  Charnisay  attacked  La  Tour's  fort  with  five  ships 
and  five  hundred  men ;  but  the  latter  obtained  aid 
from  Boston,  and  beat  him  off  with  loss.  Early  in 
1G45,  in  La  Tour's  absence,  Charnisay  made  another 
attack  ;  but  La  Tour's  heroic  wife  encouraged  the 
garrison,  and  his  ship  was  compelled  to  retire  in  a 
sinking  condition.  Charnisay,  however,  returned 
with  a  stronger  force,  and  attacked  Fort  La  Tour  from 
the  land  side.  For  three  days  Lady  La  Tour,  with 
her  w^eak  garrison,  held  him  at  bay ;  but  on  the 
fourth,  which  was  Easter  Sunday,  16th  April,  1645, 
while  the  garrison  were  at  prayers,  a  treacherous 
Swiss  sentinel  opened  the  gate  to  the  invaders. 
Lady  La  Tour,  with  unfaltering  courage,  rallied  her 
little  band  of  fifty  men,  and  made  head  against  the 
enemy ;  but  finally,  to  save  further  bloodshed,  made 
terms  of  capitulation.  These  terms  Charnisay  com- 
pletely disregarded,  and,  with  incredible  barbarity, 
hanged  all  the  garrison  except  the  brave  woman. 


84  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOIIN. 

This  accumulation  of  disasters  so  preyed  on  the 
spirits  of  Lady  La  Tour,  that  in  a  few  days  she  died, 
leaving  an  infant  child  which  was  sent  to  France. 
Charnisay  continued  to  retain  Fort  La  Tour  for  some 
years,  its  legitimate  owner  having,  in  the  mean  time, 
retired  to  Quebec.  Charnisay  in  1650  was  drowned 
in  the  Annapolis  Hiver  ;  and  in  the  following  year 
La  Tour  had  his  commission  restored  to  him  by  the 
French  king,  and  recovered  possession  of  his  fort. 
In  1653  he  married  Charnisay 's  widow,  and  was 
living  at  St.  John  in  a  quiet  domestic  way,  when  in 
1654  an  English  fleet  which  had  been  sent  out 
by  Oliver  Cromwell  appeared  before  Fort  La  Tour, 
which,  being  in  a  defenceless  state,  was  obliged  to 
capitulate  ;  and  Acadia  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
English.  La  Tour  went  to  England,  and  succeeded, 
in  conjunction  with  Thomas  Temple  and  William 
Crowne,  in  obtaining  from  Cromwell  a  grant  of  the 
whole  of  Acadia.  La  Tour  subsequently  sold  out  to 
Temple,  who  strengthened  and  improved  Fort  La 
Tour,  and  built  a  new  fort  at  Jemseg,  where  he 
carried  on  a  considerable  trade  with  the  Indians. 
La  Tour  died  in  1666  at  St.  John ;  and  in  the 
following  year  the  treaty  of  Breda  was  made  between 
Louis  XIV.  and  Charles  II.,  by  which  Acadia  was. 
to  be  surrendered  to  France. 

Owing  to  difficulties  raised  by  Temple  as  to  the 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  85 

limits  of  Acadia,  the  surrender  was  not  effected 
until  1G70.  It  then  became  a  French  province  with 
royal  governors.  The  first  governor  under  this  new 
order  of  thinccs  was  the  Chevalier  de  Grandfontaine, 
who  resided  most  of  the  time  on  the  River  St.  John. 
He  strengthened  and  improved  Fort  La  Tour,  bring- 
ing cannon  to  it  from  the  fort  at  Jemseg,  which  for 
the  time  seems  to  have  been  abandoned.  There 
were  at  that  time  in  all  Acadia  less  than  four  hun- 
dred souls,  as  appears  by  an  actual  census  of  the 
inhabitants  taken  in  the  year  1671.  Only  two  forts 
were  then  maintained  in  Acadia, —  that  at  Pentagoet, 
where  the  Chevalier  Grandfontaine  resided,  and  Fort 
La  Tour,  Avhere  his  lieutenant  M.  de  JNIarson  held 
command. 

In  1673  Grandfontaine  returned  to  France,  and 
was  succeeded  in  command  in  Acadia  by  M.  de 
Chambly.  About  this  time,  for  some  reason  which 
is  not  given,  but  probably  from  its  greater  proximity 
and  consequent  adv^iitages  lor  communication  with 
the  Indians,  De  Marson  appears  to  have  transferred 
his  headquarters  to  Fort  Jemseg,  for  in  1674  he  was 
there  surprised  by  a  Flemish  pirate  commanded  by 
an  English  adventurer,  and  compelled  to  surrender. 
De  Marson  was  carried  off  a  prisoner,  but  soon 
appears  to  have  been  set  at  liberty ;  and  he  continued 
to  hold  coni'sa  .J.  on  the  River  St.  John  for  some 


86  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

years.  In  lG7u  he  received  a  grant  from  the  French 
crown  of  a  seignio.y  called  Nachouac;  and  in  the 
same  year  he  also  received  a  grant  of  the  fort  or 
house  of  Jemseg. 

In  1G82  M.  de  la  Valliere  was  in  command  in  Aca- 
dia, under  an  appointment  made  by  Count  Frontenac, 
the  governor  of  Canada.  About  this  time  the  king 
of  France  granted  to  the  Sieur  Bergier  of  Rochelle, 
Gautier,  Boucher,  and  De  Montes,  "  the  lands  which 
they  shall  find  suitable  along  the  coast  of  Acadia  and 
the  River  Saint  John,"  for  the  establishment  of  the 
snore  fishery.  Bergier  came  to  Acadia,  and  proceeded 
to  organize  fishilig-establishments  on  its  coasts ;  but 
he  found  his  operations  constantly  impeded  by  the 
English,  who  had  been  fishing  on  tliese  coasts  for 
years,  and  were  not  to  be  restrained.  La  Valliere  the 
commandant,  who  resided  at  Saint  John,  was  openly 
accused  of  beinor  in  leac^ue  with  these  enemies  of  his 
country ;  and  it  was  stated  in  memorials  written  to 
the  French  Government  of  that  day,  that  he  had 
licensed  the  English  vessels  to  fish  on  the  coast  of 
Acadia  for  money  payment.  Whether  these  accusa- 
tions were  true  or  not,  it  is  certain  that  the  differ- 
ences between  Bergier  and  L;  Valliere  continued  to 
increase  in  violence ;  and  finally  the  latter,  with 
something  like  piratical  violence,  seized  several  of 
Bergier's  vessels,  and  confiscated  their  cargoes  of  fish 
and  hides. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  87 

In  1G84  La  Valliere  was  removed  from  the  govern- 
orsliip  of  Acadia,  and  succeeded  by  M.  Perrot,  who 
was  in  his  turn  succeeded  in  1687  by  M.  de  Meu- 
neral.  Prior  to  this,  however,  a  new  set  of  adventur- 
ers from  Quebec  had  made  their  appearance  on  the 
Saint  John  River.  These  were  four  brothers  named 
d' Amours,  sons  of  Matthieu  d'Amours,  one  of  the 
councillors  of  state  at  Quebec.  Their  names  were 
Louis,  Kene,  ]\Iatthieu,  and  Bernard ;  and,  notwith- 
standing the  rank  and  official  position  of  their  father, 
at  an  early  age  they  took  to  the  woods  as  coureurs 
de  bois^  or  outlaws  of  the  bush,  and  at  one  time 
were  actually  arrested  by  the  governor  of  Canada 
for  following  this  employment.  They  obtained 
grants  of  land  on  the  River  Saint  John  in  1684 ;  and 
two  of  them,  Matthieu  and  Louis,  married  to  two 
sisters  named  Guyon,  formed  permanent  establish- 
ments on  the  Saint  John.  Matthieu  resided  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  river,  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Oromocto  ;  and  Louis  had  his  habitation  at  the  mouth 
cf  the  Jemseg.  All  the  brothers  traded  extensively 
with  the  Indians  of  the  Saint  John  River ;  of  wliom 
it  is  now  time  to  speak,  as  about  this  time  they  became 
a  power  in  the  eastern  parts  of  America.  These 
Indians  are  part  of  the  great  Algonquin  family,  and 
were  variously  designated  Etchemins  or  Malicites, 
names  the  meanings  ot   which  are  now  lost;  they 


88  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

m 

also  called  themselves,  in  common  with  some  of  the 
Indians  of  Maine,  by  the  general  name  of  Wabanaki, 
or  men  of  the  east.  The  Indian  wars  in  which  the 
Malicites  took  part  commenced  in  1689  ;  and  for  the 
next  thirty  or  forty  years  there  was  a  state  of  hos- 
tility between  the  border  settlers  of  Maine  and  New 
Hampshire,  and  the  New  Brunswick  Indians.  Year 
after  year  the  work  of  slaughter  went  on ;  and  some 
of  the  most  thrilling  tales  of  suffering  and  of  Indian 
adventure  belong  to  this  period,  and  relate  to  con- 
flicts with  the  Malicites  of  Acadia. 

An  event  happened  shortly  after  the  commence- 
ment of  this  Indian  war,  which  gave  greater  strength 
and  consistency  to  their  efforts.  For  some  years 
prior  to  1690,  Port  Royal,  now  Annapolis,  had  been 
the  seat  of  government  of  Acadia  ;  but  in  that  year 
it  was  captured  by  Sir  William  Phips,  and  its  govern- 
or and  garrison  taken  as  prisoners  to  Boston.  When 
Villebon,  who  came  to  take  Meuneral's  place  as  gov- 
ernor, arrived  at  Port  Royal,  he  found  it  in  a  ruinous 
condition  ;  and  he  at  once  decided  to  remove  the  seat 
of  government  to  the  River  Saint  John,  to  the  fort  at 
Jemseg,  which  had  been  formerly  occupied  by  Grand- 
fontaine. 

At  this  period  pirates  were  abundant  on  the  coast 
of  Acadia ;  and  one  of  these  corsairs  landed  at  Port* 
Royal,   and  committed  many  depredations.     They 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  89 

then  crossed  to  Saint  John,  and  captured  the  vessel 
in  which  Yillebon  had  come  from  France,  which  was 
lying  in  this  harbor,  Yillebon  being  then  up  the 
River  Saint  John.  It  was  probably  its  liability  to 
insult  and  attack  by  piratical  vessels,  that  caused 
Villebon  to  occupy  the  fort  at  Jemseg,  rather  than 
Fort  Latour  at  this  period.  Jemseg,  however,  proved 
in  every  way  unsuitable  for  a  garrison,  having  origi- 
nally been  intended  merely  for  a  trading-post ;  and 
Villebo'i  shortly  left  it,  and  proceeded  to  build  a  pal- 
isaded fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Nashwaak,  a  tributary 
of  the  Saint  John,  which  enters  it  opposite  to  the 
city  of  Fredericton.  The  rise  of  this  new  fortification 
was  deemed  ■  y  the  English  colonists  an  insult  and  a 
menace ;  for  in  1692  Sir  William  Phips  sent  a  ship 
of  forty-eight  guns  and  two  brigantines,  with  eighty 
soldiers  on  board,  to  capture  it.  Villebon,  however, 
WPS  on  the  alert,  and,  without  waiting  to  be 
attacked,  sent  a  detachment  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river  to  watch  the  enemy  ;  who  were  so  much  discon- 
certed at  the  appearance  of  the  French  on  the  alert, 
that  they  returned  without  attempting  to  make  any 
attack. 

At  this  period  several  French  war-vessels  were 
kept  cruising  on  the  coast  of  Acadia,  partly  to  keep 
the  pirates  who  infested  its  shores  at  a  respectable 
distance,  and  partly  to  attack  and  destroy  the  fishing 


90  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

and  trading  vessels  of  the  English  colonists.  The  har- 
bor of  Saint  John  became  a  sort  of  depot  for  these 
cax)tiired  vessels  and  their  cargoes.  A  privateer 
named  Baptiste  was  particularly  active  in  depreda- 
tions upon  English  commerce  at  this  period.  At  the 
same  time  Fort  Nashwaak  on  the  Saint  John  was  the 
focus  of  these  intrigues  against  the  peace  and  pros- 
perity of  the  settlements  of  New  England,  which 
kept  its  border  towns  in  a  state  of  warfare,  and  often 
of  ruin,  for  so  many  years.  It  was  from  Fort  Nash- 
waak, that  expedition  after  expedition  went  forth, 
composed  of  bloodthirsty  and  treacherous  savages, 
and  headed  generally  by  Frenchmen,  to  murder  and 
destroy  in  the  settlements  of  New  Hampshire  and 
Maine.  Hundreds  of  English  colonists  were  slain  in 
these  bloody  encounters,  and  many  captured  ;  and 
the  fort  at  Saint  John  finally  came  to  be  looked  upon 
as  the  cause  of  all  these  disasters,  so  that  a  very  nat- 
ural desire  rose  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  New 
England  to  destroy  it.  This  desire  was  hardened  into 
a  firm  resolve  by  an  event  which  happened  in  August, 
1696,  —  the  capture  of  Fort  William  Henry  at  Pem- 
aquid,  by  a  force  of  French  and  Indians  from  Saint 
John.  This  fort  was  almost  new,  built  of  stone,  and 
had  cost  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  more  than 
twenty  thousand  pounds.  Its  capture  was  too  gross 
an  insult  to  be  borne.    It  was  determined  by  the 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  91 

people  of  Boston,  that  the  French  should  be  driven 
from  the  River  Saint  John.  That  no  incentive  might 
be  wanting  to  stimulate  the  piide  and  zeal  of  the 
men  of  Massachusetts,  two  ships  of  the  French  expe- 
dition, the  "  Profond "  and  "  Envieu,"  had  been 
attacked  off  the  harbor  of  St.  John  by  three  English 
vessels,  the  "  Sorling,"  "  Newport,"  and  "  Province  '* 
galley.  One  of  the  latter,  the  "  Newport,"  was  cap- 
tured, and  the  others  put  to  flight.  The  "•  Newport  " 
was  carried  into  Saint  John. 

The  English  expedition  to  capture  Fort  Nashwaak 
was  placed  under  the  command  of  Benjamin  Church, 
who  hud  won  distinction  in  King  Philip's  wars. 
Between  four  hundred  and  five  hundred  men  were 
jjut  under  his  comman  I,  and  he  sailed  from  Piscata- 
qua  late  in  August ;  his  force,  which  included  some 
Indians,  being  disposed  in  several  small  vessels  and 
boats.  Church,  instead  of  steering  straight  for  Fort 
Nashwaak,  which  he  might  have  surprised,  went  up 
the  bay  to  Chignecto,  which  he  proceeded  to  plun- 
der and  destroy.  He  remained  there  nine  days,  which 
he  employed  in  killing  the  cattle,  burning  down  the 
houses,  and  destroying  the  crops,  of  the  unfortunate 
Acadians.  Even  the  chapel  was  not  spared  by  this 
licentious  soldier,  who  seems  to  have  had  no  stom- 
ach for  war,  so  long  as  booty  was  to  be  obtained. 
The  accounts  given  of  his  scandalous  treatment  of 


92  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

these  poor  people  would  be  incredible,  had  he  nou 
taken  the  pains  to  write  and  publish  them  himself  in 
a  book. 

Church  and  his  force  returned  to  Saint  John, 
where  his  chief,  exploit  was  frightening  some  work- 
men who  were  rebuilding  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  and  capturing  twelve  cannon  that  the 
French  had  buried  in  the  beach.  He  then  sailed  for 
Passamaquoddy,  where  he  was  met  by  Col.  Hathorne, 
who  had  brought  a  re-enforcement  of  three  vessels ; 
and,  taking  command  of  the  expedition,  bade  Church 
return  to  aid  him  in  an  attack  on  Fort  Nashwaak. 
Villebon,  who  had  a  guard  at  the  mouth  of  the  Saint 
John,  was  early  informed  of  Hathorne's  approach, 
and  strengthened  his  garrison  by  calling  in  the 
Frenchmen  who  lived  lower  down  the  river.  Fatlier 
Simon,  the  Recollet  missionary,  who  dwelt  at  Auc- 
paque,  also  came  into  the  fort  at  the  head  of  thirty- 
six  Indian  warriors ;  and  when  the  Engh'sh  made 
their  appearance  before  the  fort,  on  the  morning  of 
the  18th  of  October,  the  French  commander  was 
fully  prepared  to  receive  them.  After  a  cannonade 
which  lasted  two  days,  the  siege  was  abandoned  in  a 
precipitate  manncT ;  and  the  English  force  withdrew 
down  the  liver,  having  lost  a  considerable  number 
of  men,  Ihe  cause  of  this  action  is  said  to  have 
been  the  want  of  tents  to  shelter  the  troops,  who 
suffered  greatly  from  the  cold. 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  93 

Fort  Nashwaak  was  strenc^thened  Gurinjx  the 
winter,  in  anticipation  of  another  attac^:  in  the 
spring ;  but  Villebon  had  resolved  to  remove  his 
headquarters  to  Fort  Latour  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  In  1697  he  organized  an  Indian  expedition 
against  the  Enghsh  settlements  of  Maine,  and  kept 
his  men  busy  rebuilding  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Saint  John.  The  work  of  rebuilding  went  on  all 
that  year  ;  and  in  1698  Nashwaak  was  abandoned, 
and  Villebon  removed  with  his  garrison  to  the  fort 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Saint  John.  For  the  next  two 
years  matters  in  Acadia  were  of  an  uneventful  char- 
acter. There  was  little  to  cause  excitement  among 
its  inhabitants,  except  the  occasional  appearance  of 
a  pirate  on  its  shores. 

In  July,  1700,  Villebon  died,  and  was  buried  at 
Saint  John ;  and  Villieu  took  the  command  of  Acadia 
until  June,  1701,  when  Brouillan,  who  had  been 
sent  out  as  governor,  arrived.  This  commander 
resolved  to  abandon  the  fort  and  establishment  at 
Saint  John,  on  which  so  much  money  and  labor  had 
been  expended ;  an  act  of  folly  to  which  the  subse- 
quent loss  of  Acadia  by  the  French  may  be  largely 
attributed.  He  caused  the  fortifications  to  be  razed, 
demolished  the  houses,  and  carried  away  the  guns 
and  every  thing  else  of  a  portable  character,  to  Port 
Royal.     Saint  John  was  left  as  deserted  and  desolate 


94  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

as  it  had  been  nearly  a  century  before,  previous  to 
the  arrival  of  Champlain.  A  deep  silence  fell  upon 
the  place,  which  was  unbroken  for  thirty  years. 
The  Indian  might  wander  among  the  ruins  of  a  fort 
which  had  been  abandoned  to  his  care,  or  left  to  be 
converted  into  a  hiding-place  for  the  wild  beasts  of 
the  forest,  and  wonder  at  the  folly  of  the  white  men 
who  had  forsaken  the  finest  river  in  all  Acadia  for 
the  hunter,  the  woodsman,  the  fisherman,  or  the 
farmer. 

The  persistent  attempts  which  were  made  by  the 
French  to  build  a  great  town  at  Port  Royal,  and  the 
steady  neglect  of  the  advantages  of  Saint  John, 
where  nature  had  obviously  intended  that  a  great  city 
should  be  erected,  are  things  which  may  well  excite 
our  surprise ;  for,  during  the  whole  French  occupa- 
tion of  Acadia,  Saint  John  never  progressed  a  single 
step  towards  its  present  condition.  They  built  forti- 
fications here  indeed,  and  filled  them  with  soldiers ; 
but  there  were  no  private  settlers  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  and  no  attempt  to  establish  any  trade  at 
Saint  John  was  ever  seriously  made  in  their  time ; 
the  only  article  exported  during  the  French  period, 
besides  the  skins  of  wild  animals,  if  we  except  pines 
for  masts  for  the  French  navy,  being  limestone, 
which  at  an  early  date  was  taken  from  Saint  John 
in  considerable  quantities  to   Port  Royal.     All  the 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  95 

energies  of  the  French  people,  for  more  than  a  cen- 
tury, were  directed  to  the  building-up  of  settlements 
at  Port  Royal,  jNIinas,  and  Chignecto.  The  very 
vastness  and  solitary  grandeur  of  the  Saint  John 
seem  to  have  frightened  private  settlers  away ;  and 
the  Government  of  France  seems  to  have  given  such 
persons  no  encouragement  to  settle  here. 

In  1710  a  material  change  was  caused  in  the 
aspect  of  Acadian  affairs  by  the  fall  of  Port  Royal, 
which  was  captured  by  an  English  expedition  under 
Gen.  Nicholson.  Its  name  was  changed  to  Annapolis, 
in  honor  of  the  reigning  queen  ;  and  it  continued  for 
a  long  time  to  be  the  seat  of  government  of  the 
English  colony  of  Nova  Scotia.  Although  the 
French  made  several  attempts  to  recapture  their 
beloved  Port  Royal,  they  always  failed. 

Although  by  the  treaty  of  Utrecht  Acadia  was 
ceded  to  the  English  crown,  the  French  contended 
that  the  name  only  covered  the  peninsula  of  Nova 
Scotia,  and  therefore  that  the  Saint  John  still  be- 
longed to  them.  This  claim  was  made  officially  in  a 
letter  written  in  1718  by  the  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil, 
the  governor  of  Canada,  to  John  Doucett,  lieutenant- 
governor  of  Annapolis  Royal.  The  French  governor 
also  encouraged  the  inhabitants  of  Acadia  to  settle 
on  the  Saint  John  River ;  but  none  appear  to  have 
done  so  at  this  time.    In  1732,  however,  a  small 


96  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

French  colony  from  Chignecto  settled  on  the  River 
Saint  John,  and  speedily  made  themselves  obnoxious 
to  the  commander  of  Port  Royal,  by  their  refusal  to 
recognize  his  authority.  These  people  in  1736  num- 
bered seventy-eight  souls,  besides  the  missionary 
priest,  Jean  Pierre  Danilo.  These  simple  Acadians 
were  not  the  sort  of  people  to  make  any  great  figure 
in  history ;  and  accordingly  they  have  left  little 
record  of  their  existence,  except  a  few  entries  in 
regard  to  them  in  the  minutes  of  council  and  letter 
books  of  the  Province  of  Nova  Scotia.  The  number 
of  French  Acadians  on  the  St.  John  River  gradually 
continued  to  increase  ;  and  their  settlements  gradually 
grew  to  be  a  refuge  for  the  disaffected  from  other 
parts  of  the  Province.  The  Malicite  Indians  of  the 
Saint  John  were  always  on  good  terms  with  the 
French,  and,  while  the  latter  remained  in  the  country, 
were  always  openly  or  secretly  hostile  to  the  English. 
In  1749,  after  the  close  of  the  war  between  France 
and  England,  which  arose  out  of  the  violation  of 
the  Pragmatic  Sanction  by  Frederick  the  Great,  Col. 
John  Gorham  was  sent  to  the  River  Saint  John  with 
a  force,  to  exact  submission  from  the  French  inhabit- 
ants there.  His  troops  on  landing  were  fired  on  by 
the  Indians,  or  by  the  French ;  it  is  not  very  clear 
which.  Two  Indians  who  do  not  appear  to  have 
been  concerned  in  the  attack  on  the  English,  but 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  97 

who  rather  seem  to  have  strayed  into  their  camp, 
were  seized  by  Gorham,  and  detained  as  hostages. 
This  act  provoked  a  correspondence  between  the 
Count  Galissionliere,  the  governor  of  Canada,  and 
the  British  antliorities,  in  which  the  old  question 
with  regard  to  the  ownership  of  the  Saint  John 
River,  which  had  been  in  abeyance  for  many  years, 
was  revived.  The  result  of  these  conflictinc:  claims 
was  a  determination  on  the  part  of  the  French  gov- 
ernor to  occupy  the  territory  in  dispute  with  an 
armed  force. 

Accordingly  in  the  summer  of  1749  a  French  offi- 
cer named  Boisherbert  was  sent  down  from  Quebec 
with  thirty  men  to  occupy  the  old  fort  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Saint  John  River.  Once  more  its  ruined  bas- 
tions, which  had  been  deser.ed  for  well-nigh  a  half- 
century,  were  trodden  by  armed  men ;  and  the  colors 
of  France  again  waved  over  them.  The  English  at 
Halifax,  which  was  founded  in  that  year,  at  once 
took  the  alarm  ;  and  Gov.  Cornwallis  ordered  <Japt. 
Rous  to  go  to  Saint  John,  and  order  the  French  to 
desist  from  erecting  fortifications  there.  In  July, 
1749,  he  proceeded  in  the  ship  of  war  "Albany  "  to 
Saint  John,  and  for  some  days  saw  nothing  of  the 
French.  Finally  a  French  schooner  laden  with  pro- 
visions arrived,  and  was  seized ;  but  Capt.  Rous 
offered  to  release  her,  provided  the  master  would  go 


98  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOUN. 

up  the  liver  in  a  canoe,  and  bring  down  the  French 
officer.  Boisherbert,  it  appears,  was  at  the  time 
engaged  in  constructing  a  small  fort  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Nerepis,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Saint  John. 
The  master  of  the  schooner  went  up  the  river  to  find 
him ;  and  on  the  following  da}^  the  French  officer 
made  his  appearance  at  the  head  of  thirty  troops  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  Indians,  and  they  planted  their 
colors  on  the  shore  opposite  to  where  the  "  Albany  " 
was  lying  at  anchor.  Capt.  Rous  ordered  them  to 
strike  their  colors ;  and  this,  after  some  demurring, 
was  done.  Boisherbert,  in  excuse  for  his  presence 
there,  produced  letters  from  the  governor  of  Canada, 
ordering  him  to  prevent  the  English  from  settling  at 
Saint  John,  on  the  ground  that  the  territory  belonged 
to  France.  A  letter  from  Cornwallis,  ordering  him 
to  desist  from  erecting  forts  at  Saint  John,  was 
delivered  to  Boisherbert ;  and  Rous  retired,  taking 
with  'iim  some  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Saint  John  River 
Indians  for  the  purpose  of  arranging  a  treaty. 
Boisherbert  afterwards  wrote  to  Gov.  Cornwallis, 
disavowing  any  intention  of  fortifying  or  building 
at  Saint  John,  but  stating  that  his  orders  were  not 
to  allow  any  one  else  to  build  at  Saint  John  until 
the  right  of  possession  had  been  settled  between 
the  two  crowns.  Notwithstanding  this  disavowal, 
.the  fort  at  Nerepis,  of  the  existence  of  which  the 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  99 

English  were  then  unaware,  was  finished ;  and,  as 
if  to  show  the  determination  of  tlie  French  to 
retain  the  continental  part  of  Acadia,  an  officer 
named  Le  Come  was  sent  from  Quehec  with  seventy 
men  to  take  possession  of  the  Isthmus  of  Chignecto. 
There  in  the  following  year  arose  the  bastions  of  the 
strongest  fort  yet  erected  in  Acadia,  the  grim  and 
formidable  Beausejonr. 

For  the  next  five  years  there  was  no  material 
change  in  the  aspect  of  affairs  in  Nova  Scotia.  The 
French  continued  to  fortify  themselves  at  Chignecto 
and  Saint  John  ;  and  it  was  finally  resolved  by  the 
British  authorities  in  Massachusetts  and  Nova  Scotia 
to  dispossess  them.  An  expedition  was  organized  in 
New  England  by  Gov.  Shirley,  consisting  of  about 
two  thousand  men,  and  placed  under  the  command 
of  Col.  Monckton.  They  sailed  fiom  Boston  in 
May,  1755,  in  thirty-six  vessels,  large  and  small,  in- 
cluding three  frigates,  and  on  the  2d  June  appeared 
off  Fort  Beausejour,  which  they  attacked  ;  and  on 
the  16th  June  it  surrendered.  As  soon  as  this 
French  stronghold  was  captured,  Capt.  Rous  was 
sent  with  three  twenty-gun  ships,  and  a  sloop,  to 
look  into  the  Saint  John  River,  where  it  was  re- 
ported that  there  were  two  French  ships  of  thirty- 
six  guns  each.  He  anchored  off  the  mouth  of  the 
river,   and   sent   in  his   boats  to   reconnoitre ;    but 


100  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN, 

there  was  no  vessel  in  the  harbor.  As  soon,  how* 
ever,  as  the  French  on  shore  saw  them,  they  burst 
their  cannon,  blew  up  their  magazine,  burned  qyqtj 
thing  they  could  belonging  to  the  fort,  and  marched 
off. 

The  forcible  removal  of  the  French  inhabitants 
from  Nova  Scotia  took  place  in  the  same  year,  not 
long  after  the  fall  of  Beausejour.  It  was  a  cruel 
and  extreme  act,  but  was  rendered  necessary  by 
their  turbulent  character  and  their  determination 
not  to  live  peaceably  under  the  British  flag.  In 
some  parts  the  deportation  of  the  inhabitants  was 
effected  without  much  difficulty.  At  Grand  Prd 
1,923  French  men,  women,  and  children  were  col- 
lected and  peaceably  removed.  But  at  Chignecto, 
Shepody,  and  other  places,  resistance  was  offered ; 
and  large  numljers  of  the  inhabitants  from  these  parts 
fled  to  the  River  Saint  John.  It  was  calculated  that 
Boisherbert,  the  French  officer  in  command  of  the 
river,  was  at  one  time  at  the  head  of  as  many  as  one 
thousand  five  aundred  of  these  French  fugitives. 
Their  presence  ci  used  no  small  amount  of  uneasiness 
to  the  authorities  at  Halifax.  For  the  French,  thus 
re-enforced,  were  again  able  to  hold  the  mouth  of 
the  River  Saint  John,  and  they  had  a  fortified  post  at 
Saint  Ann's,  ninety  miles  up  the  river,  on  the  site  of 
the  present  city  of   Fredericton.     The   destruction 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  101 

of  both  posts  and  the  entire  removal  of  the  French 
from  the  river  were  objects  to  which  the  attention  of 
the  Enghsh  was  now  directed.  At  all  events,  it  was 
clear  that  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  must  be 
re-occupied. 

Accordingly  in  the  summer  of  1758  three  ships 
of  war  and  two  transports,  with  two  regiriiev/,s,  one 
of  Highlanders  and  the  other  of  Provincial  troops, 
on  board,  were  despatched  from  Boston  to  recapture 
Fort  La  Tour.  They  landed  at  Negro  Town  Point, 
and  cut  a  road  through  the  woods  to  the  place 
where  the  Carleton  City  Hall  now  stands,  which  was 
then  used  as  a  vegetable-garden  by  the  French. 
From  there  they  advanced  against  the  fort  in  order 
of  battle,  and,  after  one  repulse,  succeeded  in  carry- 
ing it  by  assault.  They  captured  two  hundred  or 
three  hundred  prisoners  ;  and  the  rest  of  the  garrison 
escaped  across  the  river  in  boats,  and  finally  made 
their  way  up  river.  Many,  however,  were  killed  in 
the  boats  by  the  shots  of  the  attacking  party.  The 
loss  of  both  French  and  English  was  heavy,  espe- 
cially of  the  former,  — more  than  forty  being  killed. 
This  ended  their  occupation  of  the  mouth  of  the  Saint 
John  ;  and  soon  after  the  French  were  driven  entirely 
from  the  river,  except  a  few  families  who  continued 
to  reside  near  Saint  Ann's.  For'^  La  Tour  was  occu- 
pied and  garrisoned  by  the  English,  and  renamed 


102  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Fort  Frederick.     A  blockhouse  was  also  erected  at 
Fort  Ilowe. 

The  autLiiin  of  1759  was  distinpruished  by  one  of 
the  most  violent  gales  of  wind  that  ever  was  known 
in  these  latitudes.  The  damage  done  was  immense. 
Whole  forests  were  blown  down ;  the  tide  rose  six 
feet  above  its  ordinary  level,  and  all  the  dikes  were 
destro3'ed.  A  considerable  part  of  Fort  Frederick 
at  Saint  John  was  washed  away.  The  descriptions 
given  of  tliis  storm  naturally  recall  the  effects  of  the 
great  gale  and  tidal  wave  which  did  so  much  damage 
throughout  the  maritime  pro\inces  a  few  years  ago. 

At  this  period  Col.  Arbuthnot  was  in  command  of 
Fort  Frederick ;  and  its  garrison  consisted  of  about 
a  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  men.  The  com- 
mandant was  vcrj'  busy  in  keeping  tlie  Indians  in 
order,  and  watching  the  French,  and  seems  altogether 
to  have  had  rather  an  uneasy  time  of  it.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  removing  some  hundreds  of  the  French 
inhabitants  of  the  river  to  other  places.  His  soldiers 
appear  to  have  grown  tired  of  the  monotony  of  life 
at  Saint  John ;  for  in  the  spring  of  1760,  in  spite  of 
all  persuasion,  seventy  of  them  open\"  left  in  one 
schooner,  and  eighty  in  another,  to  return  to  their 
homes  in  New  England.  This  desertion  must  have 
left  Arbuthnot's  garrison  very  weak ;  and  he  seems 
about  this  time  to  have  given  up  the  command  of 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN  103 

Fort  Frederick,  for  Lieut.  Tong  was  in  cominand 
of  it  in  July,  1760.  He  represented  his  fort  at  that 
time  as  being  greatly  in  need  of  repairs  and  altera- 
tions to  make  it  defensible. 

In  1761  the  settlement  of  the  marsh-lands  about 
Sackville  was  commenced  by  colonists  from  the 
older  English  colonies,  and  in  the  following  year  a 
number  of  English  settlers  removed  to  the  Saint 
John  River,  but  in  1764  an  immigration  on  a  more 
extended  scale  took  place.  Mr.  James  Simonds,  the 
ancestor  of  the  present  family  of  that  name,  with 
Mr.  James  White  and  Capt.  Francis  Peabody,  arrived 
on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Saint  John  on  the 
16th  April  of  that  year,  determined  to  make  it  their 
home.  Simonds  and  White  ere3ted  small  dwelUngs 
at  the  foot  of  the  hiU,  now  kno^n  as  Fort  Howe. 
Capt.  Peabody  commenced  the  ibrmation  of  a  settle- 
ment at  Maugerville  in  the  county  of  Sunbury.  This 
settlement,  which  was  named  after  Joshua  Mauger, 
an  English  merchant  who  was  agent  for  the  Province 
of  Nova  Scotia,  was  composed  mainly  of  colonists 
from  Massachusetts. 

Although  the  date  of  this  settlement  is  generally 
put  down  1766,  it  is  quite  certain  that  it  was  com- 
pletely established  in  1764,  as  is  proved  by  a  memo- 
randum made  in  that  year  by  Mr.  Grant  of  Halifax, 
who  gives  the  number  of  English  inhabitants  then 


104  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAI^T  JOHN. 

living  on  the  Saint  John  at  four  hundred.  In  1765 
the  settlement  was  erected  into  a  county  by  the  name 
of  Sunbury,  and  accorded  two  representatives  in  the 
House  of  Assembly  at  Halifax.  Large  grants  of  land 
had  been  in  the  mean  time  made  on  t^.e  Saint  John 
to  actual  settlers  and  to  influential  persons  who 
wished  to  be  great  land-owners  in  Nova  Scotia.  But 
there  was  land  enough  for  all,  and  these  enormous 
reserves  did  not  hinder  the  progress  of  settlement. 
In  1766  Ensign  Jeremiah  Meara  was  in  command  of 
Fort  Frederick,  which  was  still  maintained  as  a  post ; 
and  we  find  him  writing  to  Halifax  to  complain  of 
two  of  the  settlers,  Israel  Perley  and  Col.  Glazier, 
for  injury  and  violence  to  the  Indians.  The  latter 
had  a  large  grant  at  the  mouth  of  Nerepis,  which  is 
named  on  the  plans  of  that  day,  "  Glazier's  Manor." 
In  1768  the  troops  were  withdrawn  from  Fort 
Frederick,  except  a  corporal  and  four  men ;  and 
Messrs.  Simonds  and  White  left  to  pursue  their 
peaceful  avocations,  fishing  and  farming,  without 
military  protection.  This  measure  seems  to  have 
emboldened  the  Indians  to  give  trouble  in  a  sneak- 
ing way ;  and  in  1771  they  burnt  a  storehouse  and 
dwelling. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF  ST.   JOHN, 

From  1774  t^  1874,  —  Establishment  of  Government.  —  War  between 
the  Colonies  and  Great  Britain.  —  Indian  Warfare.  —  The  Open- 
ing of  Trade.  —  Landing  of  the  Loyalists. — Great  Fires  in  St. 
John.  —  First  Clmi-ch. — First  Newspaper. — Visits  from  Distin- 
guished Persons.  —  "War  with  France. — War  of  1812.  —  Facts 
and  Incidents  of  Kecent  History. 

rj^HE  first  representative  for  the  county  of  Sim- 
bury  in  the  Nova  Scotia  Assembly  was  Charles 
Morris,  son  of  the  surveyor-general  of  Nova  Scotia ; 
and  in  1774  James  Simonds  was  also  elected  a  mem- 
ber, the  county  being  at  that  time  entitled  to  two 
representatives.  A  court  of  common  pleas  had  been 
held  in  Sunbury  from  the  year  1766,  so  that  ihe 
people  on  the  River  Saint  John  had  all  the  para- 
phernalia of  government ;  and,  although  they  some- 
times complained  of  the  Indians,  seem  to  have  in- 
creased and  multiplied,  and  gone  about  their  daily 
routine  of  duty  with  a  reasonable  degree  of  assur- 
ance that  their  scalps  were  safe.  But  troublous 
times  were  at  hand. 

105 


106  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

The  disputes  between  Great  Britahi  and  her  colo- 
nies on  this  continent,  which  arose  out  of  the  at- 
tempt of  the  mc  tlier  country  to  impose  taxes  ou  the 
latter,  culminated  in  the  year  1775,  and  produced 
bloodshed.  The  revolted  colonists,  not  content  with 
recovering  the  independence  of  their  own  country, 
were  ambitious  enough  to  attempt  to  reduce  both 
Canada  and  Nova  Scotia :  and  at  first  there  seemed 
to  be  every  reason  to  believe  that  they  would  suc- 
ceed. The  people  of  Sunbury,  or  rather  the  great 
majority  of  them,  were  in  symj)athy  with  their  kin- 
dred in  New  England,  and,  before  the  war  was  over, 
showed  their  disloj^alty  by  stronger  means  than  mere 
words.  In  the  mean  time  the  act  of  a  raiding-party 
from  jMachias,  Me.,  exhibited  the  extent  of  the  danger 
to  which  Saint  John  and  the  whole  Province  was  ex- 
posed. In  August,  1775,  Stephen  Smith,  a  Machias 
man,  and  a  delegate  to  the  Massachusetts  Congress, 
came  to  Saint  John  in  an  armed  sloop,  and  of  course 
met  with  no  resistance.  He  burned  Fort  Frederick 
and  the  barracks,  took  the  few  men  who  had  charge 
of  the  fort  prisoners,  and  captured  a  brig  of  a  hun- 
dred and  twenty  tons,  laden  with  oxen,  sheep,  and 
swine,  which  were  intended  for  the  British  troops  at 
Boston.  This  sudden  raid  had  the  effect  of  putting 
the  British  authorities  on  the  alert;  and  vessels  of 
war  were  sent  to  cruise  off  Saint  John,  to  protect  the 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  107 

ports  in  tlie  Bay  of  Fundy  from  these  incursions. 
The  governor  of  Nova  Scotia  also  sent  expresses  to 
engage  the  Indians  on  the  side  of  the  crown. 

In  1776  a  bold  attempt  was  made  to  capture  Fort 
Cumberland,  in  which  some  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Sunbury  took  part.  The  leader  in  this  attempt  was 
Jonathan  Eddy,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  who  had 
lived  some  twelve  years  on  the  marsh-lands  about 
Chignecto,  and  represented  Cumberland  County  in 
the  assembly  at  Halifax.  He  conceived  the  idea  of 
winning  reputation  by  the  capture  of  Fort  Cumber- 
land in  the  autumn  of  177G ;  went  to  Boston,  where 
he  conferred  with  the  council  of  war  there  ;  and,  re- 
ceiving some  encouragement,  he  chartered  a  small 
vessel  at  Newburyport,  and,  with  a  few  followers  and 
some  arms  and  ammunition,  he  proceeded  to  Machi- 
as,  where  about  twenty  men  joined  him.  At  Passa- 
maquoddy  he  obtained  a  few  more;  and,  going  up 
the  Saint  John  River  as  far  as  Maugerville,  he  was 
joined  by  a  company  of  twenty-five  men,  a  captain, 
lieutenant,  and  sixteen  Indians,  which  brought  the 
number  of  his  force  up  to  seventy-two.  Eddy  em- 
barked his  men  in  whale-boats  and  canoes,  and  in  a 
few  days  reached  Shepody,  where  he  surprised  a 
picket-guard  from  Fort  Cumberland,  capturing  Capt. 
Walker  and  thirteen  men.  At  Sackville  they  cap- 
tiu-ed  a  sloop  laden  with  provisions  ;  and  lying  close, 


108  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

several  persons  who  came  down  from  the  fort  to  the 
sloop,  amongst  others  the  engineer,  were  taken. 
Eddy's  successes  induced  about  a  hundred  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  marsh  district'  to  join  him  in 
attempting  the  capture  of  Fort  Cumberland,  which 
was  commanded  by  Col.  Gorham. 

The  fort  was  summoned  ;  but  the  demand  to  give 
it  up  was  promptly  refused,  and  an  attack  which 
Eddy  subsequently  made  was  repulsed  with  loss. 
This  attack  was  made  on  the  12th  November ;  and 
the  investment  of  the  fort  was  continued  until  the 
28th,  when  Eddy  and  his  troops  were  attacked  by 
the  garrison,  and  by  a  detachment  from  Windsor 
under  Major  Bott,  and  compelled  to  retire.  Late  in 
December  they  reached  Maugerville,  dispirited,  worn 
out  with  fatigue,  and  half-starved. 

This  taste  of  warfare  does  not  seem  to  have  satis- 
fied the  disloyal  people  of  Sunbury.  Several  public 
meetings  were  held  at  Maugerville,  at  which  resolu- 
tions of  sympathy  with  the  people  of  New  England 
were  passed ;  and  Asa  Parley  and  Asa  Kimball  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  go  to  Boston,  and  solicit 
assistance  and  munitions  of  war  from  the  people  of 
Massachusetts,  to  enable  them  to  rebel  against  Brit- 
ain successfully.  The  result  of  this  mission  was  that 
Col.  John  Allan,  who  had  been  obliged  to  fly  from 
Cumberland  for  his  disloyal  plots,  was  sent  by  the 


BISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  lOi) 

government  of  Massachusetts,  to  act  as  colonel  and 
superintendent  of  the  Eastern  Indians,  and  to  raise 
the  necessary  force  to  take  possession  of  the  country 
on  the  Saint  John  River,  and  hold  it  for  the  United 
States.  In  April,  1777,  Allan  left  Boston  with  some 
supplies,  and  in  May  took  his  departure  from  Machi- 
as  with  a  party  of  forty-three  men  in  whale-boats  and 
canoes.  They  arrived  at  Saint  John  in  safety,  and 
effected  a  landing.  Allan  appears  to  have  gone  at 
once  to  Aukpaque,  an  Indian  settlement  above  Fred- 
ericton,  where  he  engaged  in  conferences  with  the 
inhabitants  and  the  Indians,  leaving  a  detachment  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  who  made  their  headquarters 
at  Simonds's  house  at  the  foot  of  Fort  Howe.  On 
Monday,  the  23d  June,  the  British  war-sloop  "  Vul- 
ture "  entered  the  harbor ;  and  Allan's  men  were  at 
once  attacked.  The  latter,  being  protected,  suc- 
ceeded in  inflicting  some  loss  on  the  British  as  they 
landed  from  their  boats,  six  of  the  latter  being  killed 
and  wounded  out  of  a  force  of  forty  men. 

A  few  days  later  the  British  war-ship  "  Mermaid  " 
arrived ;  and  on  the  approach  of  this  additional  force 
the  rebels  fled  to  the  woods,  where,  from  their 
knowledge  of  the  country,  they  expected  to  be  able 
to  maintain  themselves.  This,  however,  Capt. 
Hawker,  who  commanded  the  British,  resolved  to 
prevent ;  and  he  was  about  making  dispositions  of 


110  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN, 

his  forces  to  dislodg(3  them,  when  a  detachment  of  a 
hundred  and  twenty  men  from  Fort  Cumberland 
Lmded,  and  took  them  in  flunk.  The  main  body  of 
AHan's  party  retreated  to  Grand  Bay,  where  their 
boats  were ;  and  Capt.  Dyer,  who  was  left  with  a 
rear-guard  of  twelve  men  to  observe  the  motions  of 
the  British,  was  so  closely  pursued  that  he  had  three 
men  killed  and  two  wounded.  Allan's  force  then 
retreated  up  the  river,  the  British  pursuing  them. 
Allan,  who  had  succeeded  in  gaining  the  good-will 
of  the  Indians,  and  promises  of  aid  from  them,  was 
on  his  way  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  when  he  met 
his  retreating  force  in  five  boats.  lie  at  once  turned 
and  fled  with  them,  and  on  the  1st  of  July  arrived 
at  Maugerville.  On  the  following  day  he  reached 
the  Indian  settlement  of  Aukpaque,  where  he  had 
been  received  with  so  much  ceremony  and  considera- 
tion by  the  savages  a  short  time  before.  There  all 
was  terror  and  confusion ;  for  the  British  were  still 
in  pursuit.  The  Indians  abandoned  their  settlement 
for  the  time,  and  fled;  and  the  sequel  was  that 
Allan,  abandoned  by  his  Indian  allies,  and  with  his 
own  men  on  the  verge  of  mutiny,  had  to  make  a 
hasty  retreat  to  Maine,  by  way  of  Eel  River  and  the 
Scoudac  Lakes,  arriving  at  Machias  Aug.  2,  1777. 
Thus  ended  this  bold  attempt  to  gain  possession  of 
the  River  Saint  John. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  Ill 

On  the  24th  September,  1777,  Mr.  Franklin,  the 
Indian  commissioner,  made  a  treaty  with  the  Mali- 
cites  and  Micmacs  at  Fort  Howe,  Saint  John  ;  and 
from  that  time  the  Nova  Scotia  government  experi- 
enced no  difficulty  with  these  tribes.  The  post  at 
Fort  Howe  was  held  by  a  small  force  under  the 
command  of  Capt.  Studholm.  He  commenced  the 
export  of  masts  from  SaL:t  John  for  the  use  of 
the  navy  ;  and  the  5rst  cargo  of  these  arrived  at  Hali- 
fax, Nov.  22,  1780.  During  the  following  winter  a 
second  cargo  was  p  '^^M.red  at  Saint  John,  consisting 
of  upwards  of  two  hundred  sticks  for  masts,  spi»rs,  and 
bowsprits ;  and  they  were  shipped  on  board  a  trans- 
port in  May,  1781.  These  operations,  inconsidera- 
ble as  they  were,  naturally  drew  workmen  to  Saint 
John,  and  mark  the  beginning  of  the  trade  of  this 
now  busy  city.  New  England  privateers  were,  how- 
ever, very  active  oii  our  coast  at  that  time,  and 
threatened  to  strangle  the  infant  commerce  of  the 
port.  In  May,  1781,  they  captured  a  schooner 
belonging  to  Capt.  Sheffield,  laden  with  goods  for 
Saint  John  ;  but  she  was  retaken  by  a  volunteer  force 
from  Cornwallis.  In  1782  the  cutting  of  spars  on 
the  River  Saint  John  went  on  without  interruption, 
and  the  settlements  continued  to  grow  in  population. 
In  this  year  Saint  John  had  become  a  port  of  entry, 
James  White  being  the  first  collector  of  customs. 


112 


GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 


The  tonnage  which  entered  Saint  John  during  that 
year  amounted  to  a  hundred  and  forty-four  tons  ;  and 
the  vessels  which  cleared  amounted  to  a  hiunlrcd 
and  sixty-five  tons.  As  a  matter  of  curiosity,  we 
append  a  list  of  the  vessels  which  entered  and 
cleared  at  Saint  John  in  that  year. 


Entered. 

Tons. 

Cleared, 

Tons. 

Rosanna     .        .        •        .17 

Rosanna 

.  17 

Betsy 

.  10 

Peggy 

.     8 

Escape 

.  10 

Betsy 

.  10 

Polly  . 

.  10 

Escape 

.  10 

Sally  . 

.  10 

Polly  . 

.       ^         .        .  10 

Lark  . 

.  13 

Sally  . 

.  10 

Ranger 

.  12 

Lark  . 

.  18 

Prosperity  . 

.  10 

Ranger 

.  12 

Unity 

.  10 

Prosperity 

.  10 

Speedy 

.    7 

Unity 

.  10 

Little  Tom 

.  30 

Little  Tom 

.  30 

Monaguash 

.  30 

Totrl  tonnage         .          144 

Total  ton 

nage         .          165 

Such  was  the  shipping  of  Saint  John  less  than  a 
century  ago.  A  tolerably  correct  idea  of  the  state  of 
the  settlements  on  the  Saint  John  River  at  the  close 
of  this  year  may  be  gathered  from  a  letter  written 
by  Amos  Botsford,  an  agent  for  the  Loyalists,  who 
had  been  examining  the  country  with  a  view  to 
settlement.  He  says  the  inhabitants  of  the  Saint 
John  River  are  "computed  to  be  near  a  thousand 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  113 

men  able  to  bear  arms."  He  says  also,  "  The  settlers 
are  chiefly  poor  people  who  come  here  and  get  theii 
living  easily.  They  cut  down  the  trees,  burn  the 
tops,  put  in  a  crop  of  wheat  or  Indian  corn,  which 
yields  a  plentiful  increase.  These  intervals  would 
make  the  finest  meadows.  The  uplands  produce 
both  wheat  of  the  summer  and  winter  kinds,  as  well 
as  Indian  corn.  Here  are  some  wealthy  farmers, 
having  flocks  of  cattle.  The  greater  part  of  the 
people,  excepting  the  township  of  Maugerville,  are 
tenants,  or  seated  on  the  bank  without  leave  or 
license,  merely  to  get  their  living." 

The  year  1788  was  the  most  memorable  of  any  in 
he  history  of  St.  John,  for  it  was  the  year  of  the 
landing  of  the  Loyalists.  But  for  them  St.  John 
might  have  struggled  on  for  years  through  a  pro- 
tracted and  sickly  infancy;  but  the  coming  of  the 
Loyalists  brought  it,  in  a  few  short  months,  from  the 
dimensions  of  a  hamlet  to  those  of  a  respectable 
town.  The  war  between  Great  Britain  and  her 
colonists  was  over,  and  the  latter  had  gained  their 
independence.  Had  they  been  wise,  they  would 
have  tempered  their  triumph  with  moderation ;  they 
would  have  encouraged  those  who  had  espoused  the 
royal  cause  to  remain  and  assist  in  building  up  the 
new  nation  which  they  had  founded.  Instead  of 
this,  they  committed  one  of  the  most  stupendous 


114  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

acts  of  short-sighted  folly  ever  perpetrated  by  a 
people.  They  passed  edicts  of  banishment  against 
the  persons,  and  acts  of  confiscation  against  the 
estates,  of  the  Loyalists.  They  drove  them  out,  poor 
in  purse  indeed,  but  rich  in  experience,  determina- 
tion, energy,  education,  intellect,  and  the  other 
qualities  which  build  up  states,  and  with  their  hearts 
fired  and  their  energies  stimulated  with  hatred  of 
republicanism;  they  drove  them  out  seventy  thou- 
sand strong,  to  build  up  a  rival  nation  at  their  very 
doors,  to  found  new  communities  in  British  America, 
destined  lO  grow  before  a  century  had  elapsed  into  a 
great  dominion,  which  would  never  have  had  an 
existence  but  for  the  rash  folly  of  those  who  perse- 
cuted the  Loyalists. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1783  the  emigration  of  the 
Loyalists  from  the  United  States  commenced,  and  the 
first  ship-load  arrived  at  St.  John  on  the  10th  May. 
Twenty  vessels  arrived  between  the  10th  and  18th 
May.  The  names  of  these  vessels  were,  "  The 
Camel,"  Capt.  Tinker ;  "  The  Union,"  Capt.  Wilson ; 
"  The  Aurora,"  Capt.  Jackson  ;  "  The  Hope,"  Capt. 
Peacock  ;  "  The  Otter,"  Capt.  Burns  ;  "  The  Spen- 
cer; "  "  The  Emmett,"  Capt.  Reed  ;  "  The  Thames ;  " 
"The  Spring,"  Capt.  Cadish  ;  "The  Bridgewater ;  " 
"The  Favorite,"  Capt.  Ellis;  "The  Ann,"  Capt. 
Clark;    "The    Commerce,"   Capt.    Strong,   "The 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  115 

William;"  ^' The  Lord  Townshend,"  Capt.  Hogg; 
"  The  Sovereign,"  Capt.  S^  irt;  "  The  Sally,"  Capt. 
Bell;  "The  Cyrus,"  "The  Britain,"  and  "The 
King  George,"  twenty  ships  in  all.  These  ships 
were  all  from  New  York.  The  spring  was  wet  and 
cold ;  and,  no  houses  or  accommodations  being  pro- 
vided for  them,  the  Loyalists  did  not  land  until  the 
18th  May.  These  men  were  expatriated  exiles,  men 
whose  property  had  been  confiscated,  men  without  a 
country.  Yet  among  them,  as  we  have  said,  were 
some  of  the  keenest  intellects  of  the  revolted  colo- 
nies, the  great  lights  of  the  law  and  of  the  Church, 
and  the  men  who  had  filled  high  offices  under  the 
old  order  of  things  in  New  England  and  New  York. 
Some  had  fought  through  the  war  in  regular  or  par- 
tisan corps ;  others  had  not ;  but  all  were  involved 
in  one  common  ruin. 

When  the  Loyalists  reached  St.  John,  civilization 
liad  made  such  small  advances  against  the  rugged 
might  of  nature,  that,  with  the  exception  of  a  small 
clearing  about  Fort  Howe,  the  whole  site  of  the 
present  city  of  Portland  northward  of  Saint  John 
was  a  dense  forest.  It  was  rocky  and  rough,  too, 
beyond  the  ordinary  rudeness  of  a  wilderness  ;  and 
those  who  have  seen  with  what  Titanic  labor  streets 
have  been  hewed  through  the  rocks  in  Saint  John  can 
form  some  idea  of  the  forbidding  appearance  it  must 


116  GREAT  FIRE  IN  BAINT  JOHN. 

have  presented  to  those  exiled  and  dispirited  people 
who  first  undertook  to  found  a  city  here.  The  Loy- 
alists landed  on  the  18th  May,  the  landing  in  njost 
cases  being  effected  at  Lower  Cove,  near  what  was 
the  old  Sydney  Market-House  before  the  fire. 

A  few  log  huts  were  the  only  buildings  at  that 
time  on  the  site  of  St.  John ;  and  the  first  care  of 
the  Loyalists  was  to  provide  shelter  for  themselves. 
Temporary  sheds  were  at  first  erected,  and  after- 
wards residences  of  a  more  substantial  character. 
The  first  fleet  of  ships  brought  upwards  of  three 
thousand  Loyalists  to  St.  John,  so  that  the  task  of 
providing  sufficient  accommodation  for  so  many  was 
no  light  one.  Large  numbers  also  arrived  in  sub- 
sequent vessels  in  the  course  of  the  summer  and 
autumn.  They  seem  to  have  entered  on  their  task 
with  great  industry  and  alacrity ;  and,  long  before 
the  arrival  of  winter,  comfortable  provision  had  been 
made  for  the  sheltering  of  all  who  arrived.  Most 
of  the  dwellings  erected  were  built  of  logs,  and  the 
first  framed  house  finished  by  the  Loyalists  was  a 
place  of  worship.  It  was  erected  on  a  lot  (No.  121) 
on  the  east  side  of  Germain  Street,  about  midway 
between  Queen  and  Duke  Streets.  It  was  used  by 
the  Episcopalians  until  Christmas  Day,  1791,  when 
Trinity  Church  was  first  opened,  and  subsequently 
as  a  place  of  worship  by  the  Methodists  and  Bap- 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  117 

tists.  The  courts  and  the  meetings  of  the  Common 
Council  were  also  held  in  this  building  until  1798. 

The  governor  of  Nova  Scotia  at  the  time  of  the 
arrival  of  the  Loyalists  was  John  Parr,  Esq. ;  and  St. 
John  was  at  first  named  Parrtown,  after  this  gentle- 
man. The  town  was  laid  out  in  lots,  and  granted  to 
the  Loyalist  families  residing  here  ;  there  being  1,18-4 
grantees  in  one  grant  at  St.  John,  and  93  in  another. 

Great  jealousy  soon  arose  among  the  Loyalists 
with  regard  to  this  matter  of  granting  lands  in  the 
new  colony.  In  August,  1783,  the  dissatisfaction 
was  so  great  at  St.  John,  that  four  hundred  persons 
had  signed  an  agreement  to  remove  to  Passama- 
quoddy.  The  exact  reasons  for  the  dissatisfaction 
which  existed  are  at  this  day  a  little  obscure ;  but 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  undue  partiality  shown  to 
some  Loyalists  of  wealth  and  position,  to  the  detri- 
ment of  others  who  had  suffered  equally  from  the 
result  of  the  war,  lay  at  the  foundation  of  the 
troubles.  Abijah  Willard,  who  settled  in  the  par- 
ish of  Lancaster,  and  fifty-four  others,  addressed  a 
petition  to  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  asking  for  extensive 
grants  in  Nova  Scotia.  They  represented  that  their 
position  in  life  had  been  very  respectable,  and  that 
previous  to  the  Revolution  they  had  possessed  much 
influence.  They  therefore  asked  for  grants  of  land 
in  Nova  Scotia  of  the  same  extent  as  had  been  given 


118  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

to  field-officers.  This  petition  was  made  public  at 
St.  John,  and  caused  much  excitement.  ]Many 
people  declared  their  pulses  beat  too  high  for  them 
to  become  the  tenants  or  vassals  of  the  worthy  fifty- 
five.  It  is  pretty  evident  that  our  fathers  were  no 
more  free  from  political  troubles  than  their  descend- 
ants are  at  the  present  day. 

The  population  of  the  Province  of  New  Brunswick, 
towards  the  close  of  the  year  1783,  was  estimated  at 
11,457.  Upwards  of  twelve  hundred  more  Loyalists 
had  arrived  from  New  York  in  November  of  that 
year.  City  lots  in  Parrtown  were  worth  from  two 
dollars  up  to  twenty  dollars,  according  to  locality ; 
but  real  estate,  owing  to  the  great  influx  of  people, 
had  at  that  time  attained  a  fictitious  value,  which  it 
afterwards  lost.  A  lot  on  which  the  "  Daily  Tele- 
graph" newspaper  office  stood  before  the  fire  was 
sold  in  1786  to  Dr.  Adino  Paddock  for  five  shillings. 
It  would  now  be  cheap  at  ten  thousand  dollars.  The 
date  of  the  original  plan  of  survey  of  Parrtown  is 
Aug.  6,  1784.  It  is  signed  by  Gov.  Parr;  Paul 
Bedell,  deputy  surveyor,  and  Gilfred  Studholm, 
superintendent. 

The  first  winter  spent  by  the  new  settlers  was  a 
severe  one,  and  many  died.  There  is  no  record  of 
the  first  Loyalist  death  in  St.  John ;  but  the  first 
man  married  was  Andrew  Stockton,  and  the  fact  is 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  119 

duly  recorded  on  his  tombstone.  The  year  1784  was 
rather  an  eventful  one.  The  agitations,  with  regard 
to  the  granting  of  land,  continued  at  St.  John,  and 
a  new  one  sprung  up  demanding  a  separation  from 
Nova  Scotia.  Even  in  Nova  Scotia  proper,  at  this 
time  and  long  afterwards,  there  were  brisk  contests 
between  the  Loyalists,  or  new-comers,  and  the  old 
settlers.  In  August  of  this  year,  information  was 
received  from  England  that  that  portion  of  Nova 
Scotia  north  of  the  Misseguash  was  to  be  erected 
into  a  new  Province  by  the  name  of  New  Brunswick. 

On  Friday,  the  18th  June,  1784,  the  first  of  these 
calamities  by  fire,  which  have  been  so  destructive  in 
St.  John,  took  place.  Eleven  houses  were  burned, 
the  sufferers  being  chiefly  discharged  soldiers  of  the 
Forty-second  Regiment.  On  the  same  day  seven 
houses  were  consumed  at  the  falls,  and  a  woman  and 
child  burnt  to  death. 

In  August  of  this  year  Nehemiah  Beckwith, 
afterwards  a  resident  of  Fredericton,  built  a  scow  or 
tow-boat  to  ply  between  Parrtown  and  Saint  Ann's, 
the  first  attempt  to  establish  regular  communication 
between  '  the  two  places.  From  such  an  humble 
beginning  did  the  great  traffic  now  moving  on  the 
Saint  John  River  take  its  rise. 

In  October  Mr.  Thomas  Carleton,  the  governor 
of  the  new  Province  of  New  Brunswick,  arrived  at 


120  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Halifax  with  his  family  from  London,  in  the  "  Saint 
Lawrence,"  Capt.  Wyatt,  after  a  passage  of  eight 
weeks.  On  Sunday,  the  21st  November,  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  he  arrived  at  Saint  John 
with  his  lady  and  family,  having  crossed  the  bay 
from  Digby  in  six  hours  in  the  sloop  "  Ranger,"  Cor- 
nelius Hatfield  master.  He  received  an  enthusiastic 
welcome  from  the  Loyalists.  A  salute  of  seventeen 
guns  was  fired  from  Lower  Cove  Battery  as  "  The 
Ranger  "  entered  the  harbor ;  and,  as  he  landed,  a 
similar  salute  was  thundered  from  Fort  Howe.  A 
great  concourse  of  the  inhabitants  received  him  with 
shouts  of  welcome,  and  escorted  him  to  the  house 
of  Mr.  George  Leonard,  corner  Union  and  Dock 
Streets,  which  had  been  fitted  up  for  his  reception. 
On  his  entering  the  house,  the  crowd  gave  him  three 
cheers,  and  cries  of  "  Long  live  our  king  and  gov- 
ernor !  "  On  the  following  day  his  commission  was 
read,  after  which  he  was  sworn  in  as  captain-general 
and  commander-in-chief.  On  the  same  day  Duncan 
Ludlow,  James  Putnam,  Abijah  Willard,  Gabriel  G. 
Ludlow,  Isaac  Allan,  William  Hazen,  and  Jonathan 
Odell  were  sworn  in  members  of  his  Majesty's  coun- 
cil, and  its  first  meeting  was  held.  The  new  governor 
was  addressed  by  the  inhabitants,  who  called  them- 
selves "  a  number  of  oppressed  and  insulted  Loyal- 
ists," and  congratulated  him  on  his  arrival  "  to  check 


niSTOlUCAL   SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  121 

the  arrogance  of  tyranny,  crush  the  growth  of  injus- 
tice, and  establish  such  wholesome  laws  as  are  and 
ever  have  been  the  basis  of  our  glorious  constitu- 
tion." They  added  that  they  were  formerly  freemen, 
and  again  hoped  to  be  under  his  auspices.  The 
friends  of  a  Maritime  Union  Avill  note  with  what 
resentful  feelings  the  provinces  of  New  Brunswick 
and  Nova  Scotia  were  separated.  Five  days  after 
this  first  meeting  of  the  council,  Gilfred  Studholm 
was  sworn  in,  and  took  his  seat;  and,  on  the  4th 
December,  Edward  Winslow.  In  July,  1786,  the 
number  was  further  increased  by  the  appointment 
of  Joshua  Upham  and  Daniel  Bliss.  The  first  chief 
justice  of  New  Brunswick  was  George  D.  Ludlow ; 
and  the  assistant  judges  were  James  Putnam,  Isaac 
Allan,  and  Joshua  Upham.  All  were  sworn  in  on  the 
same  day,  —  the  25th  November,  1784.  The  supreme 
court  was  opened  for  the  first  time  in  New  Bruns- 
wick on  Tuesday,  Feb.  1,  1785.  It  met  in  the  build- 
ing on  Germain  Street,  already  referred  to,  which 
the  Loyalists  built  for  public  worship.  The  Hon. 
George  D.  Ludlow  and  Hon.  James  Putnam  were  on 
the  bench.  After  the  formal  opening  of  the  court, 
the  commission  appointing  the  judges  was  read ;  and 
also  the  appointment  of  Ward  Chipman  as  attorney- 
general,  and  of  Colin  Campbell  as  clerk  of  the 
courts.     The  first  grand  jury  were  as  follows :  — 


122  GREAT  FIRE   IN  SAL\T  JOHN. 

Ricliard  Lightfoot,  John  Kirk,  Francis  DeveLer, 
John  Camp,  William  Harding,  John  Colville,  Henry 
Thomas,  John  Hazen,  John  Smith,  Munson  Jarvis, 
John  Boggs,  Oliver  Arnold,  Caleb  Howe,  David  Mel- 
ville, Isaac  Bell,  Richard  Bonsall,  James  Ketchum, 
Luke  D.  Thorntor.  \Tit^^ony  Narraway. 

In  February,  171^5,  Gov.  Carleton  selected  St. 
Ann's  Point  as  the  future  seat  of  government  of 
the  Province,  and  Douglas  Campbell  was  directed 
to  survey  the  town-plat  there ;  the  place  to  be 
called  Fredericton,  after  the  bishop  of  Osnaburg. 
On  the  18th  May,  1785,  Parrtown  and  Carieton 
were,  by  royal  charter,  erected  into  a  city,  to  be 
called  the  city  of  St.  John.  The  new  city  was 
bounded  ''  by  a  line  to  commence  and  beginning 
near  Fort  Howe,  at  Portland  Point,  at  low-water- 
mark, and  thence  running  a  direct  line  to  a  small 
point  or  ledge  of  land  at  the  causey  by  the  old  saw- 
mill ;  thence  east-north-east  until  a  direct  line  -shall 
strike  the  creek  running  through  Hazen's  marsh  on 
the  east  side  of  the  eastern  district  aforesaid  ;  thence 
along  the  course  of  the  said  creek  to  its  mouth ; 
thence  by  a  line  running  south,  nineteen  degrees 
west,  into  the  bay,  until  it  meets  a  line  running  east 
from  the  south  point  of  Partridge  Island,  and  along 
the  said  line  to  the  said  point ;  thence  by  a  direct 
line  to  a  point  on  the  shore,  which  is  at  the  south- 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  123 

east  extremity  of  a  line  ninning  south  forty-two 
degrees  east  from  the  River  St.  Jolin  to  tlie  Bay 
of  Fuiidy,  and  terminating  the  town-lots  of  the 
western  distiict  aforesaid ;  thence  along  the  said 
line  north  forty-two  degrees  west  to  the  River  St. 
John  aforesaid,  and  continuing  the  said  course 
across  the  said  river  until  it  meets  the  opposite 
shore,  and  from  thence  along  the  north  shore  of 
the  said  river  at  low-water-mark  to  Portland  Point 
aforesaid." 

On  the  11th  October,  1785,  the  first  number  of 
"  The  Royal  Gazette  and  New-Brunswick  Adver- 
tiser" was  published  at  St.  John  by  Christopher 
Sower,  king's  printer.  This  was  the  first  weekly 
paper  published  in  New  Brunswick.  In  this  year, 
too,  William  Cobbett,  a  man  afterwards  widely 
famed  as^  a  newspaper-writer,  came  to  St.  John 
from  England,  as  a  recruit,  to  join  the  Fifty-fourth 
Regiment,  then  stationed  at  Fort  Howe ;  and  it 
was  here  he  met  with  the  sergeant's  pretty  daugh- 
ter, who  became  his  wife.  The  block-house  on  Fort 
Howe  was  at  that  time,  for  want  of  a  more  suitable 
building,  used  as  a  jail.  The  elections  for  members 
to  sit  in  the  first  New-Brunswick  General  Assem- 
bly were  held  in  November,  1785,  and  in  St.  John 
were  signalized  by  great  riots.  The  members  elect 
for  St.  John  City  were  Stanton  Hazard  and   John 


124  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

McGeorge ;  for  the  county  of  St.  John,  William 
Pagan,  Ward  Chipnian,  Jonathan  Bliss,  and  Chris- 
topher Billop.  The  dcimocratie  element  evidently 
had  it  all  its  own  way  in  the  city ;  but  it  was  other- 
wise in  the  coiuicy. 

The  first  parlir  ent  of  New  Brunswick  met  in 
Saint  John  on  the  3d  January,  1786,  in  the  "  iNhdhud 
House,"  which  was  on  the  north  side  of  King  Street, 
on  the  second  lot  below  Germain.  Amos  Botsford 
was  chosen  speaker  of  the  house  ;  and  G.  D.  Ludlow, 
the  chief  justice,  the  president  of  the  council.  The 
first  clerk  of  the  house  w^as  William  Paine.  The 
number  (;f  acts  passed  at  this  first  session  was  sixty- 
one  ;  and  they  will  compare  favorably  with  those  of 
any  session  held  since  tlien. 

In  this  year  vSaint  John  made  considerable  advances 
in  the  appliances  of  civilization,  although  it  had,  as 
was  to  be  expected,  lost  many  of  its  original  inhabit- 
ants, who  merely  made  it  a  temporary  abiding-place 
until  they  could  select  lands  in  the  country  in  which 
to  settle.  Gen.  Benedict  Arnold,  the  traitor,  was 
then  a  resident  there,  and  nad  a  lumber-yard  near 
the  old  fort,  on  the  west  side  of  the  harbor  on  the 
Carleton  side.  His  residence  was  on  the  south  side 
of  King  Street,  below  Canterbury  Street.  The  lot 
on  which  his  store  stood  has  never  been  occupied 
since  the  destruction  of  the  building  many  years  ago, 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  125 

and  was  vacant  at  tlie  time  of  the  last  fire.  He  was 
the  first  ship-owner  of  any  pretensions  in  Saint  Jolin  ; 
and  on  the  1st  June,  178G,  we  read  that  "  an  entire 
new  and  most  noble  ship  called  *  Lord  Sheffield,' " 
and  built  for  Benedict  Arnobl,  came  through  the 
falls.  In  the  same  '•  Royal  Gazette,"  June  ?,  it  is 
announced  that  the  corporation  having  purchas 'd 
two  fire-encrines  for  the  use  of  the  citv,  and  havincr 
directed  one  to  be  kept  at  the  Market-Place,  Upper 
Cove,  the  other  at  the  Market-Place,  Lower  Cove, 
those  who  incline  to  join  the  two  engine-companies 
will  leave  their  names  with  Mr.  Munson  Jar  vis  and 
Mr.  John  Colviile,  merchants.  On  the  11th  July, 
the  schooner  ''  Four  Sisters "  is  advertised  to  sail 
from  Saint  John  to  Fredericton  every  Tuesday,  wind 
and  weather  permitting.  So  here  we  have  a  wonder- 
ful advance  on  Mr.  N.  Beckwith's  scow  of  two  years 
before.  Shipping  did  not  trouble  the  harbor  of  Saint 
John  much  in  its  infant  days ;  and  the  Loyalists  could 
only  solace  each  other  with  the  utterance  of  the 
prophetic  hope  that  "  ships  will  come  here  from 
England  yet." 

In  February,  1787,  a  post-sleigh  commenced  to 
run  between  Saint  John  and  Fredericton.  There 
being  no  roads,  the  ice  on  the  river  was  made  avail- 
able as  a  highway.  The  enterprising  proprietor 
of    this  conveyance   was    L.   Merecreau,   evidently 


126  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

a  Frencliman.  On  tlie  13th  of  the  same  month, 
the  second  meeting  of  the  legislature,  and  the  last 
held  in  Saint  John,  took  place.  The  acts  of  this 
session  were  twelve  in  number,  the  principal  one 
being  an  act  to  establish  the  provincial  militia. 
In  August  of  lliis  year,  the  lord-bishop  of  Nova 
Scotia,  after  administering  confirmation  to  a  great 
number  of  persons,  laid  the  corner-stone  of  Trinity 
Church  in  Saint  John,  being  the  same  building  de- 
stroyed in  the  last  fire,  although  it  had  been  several 
times  remodelled.  It  was  opened  for  public  worship 
on  Christmas  Day,  1791,  and  stood  as  a  monu- 
ment of  the  religious  zeal  of  the  Loyalists,  adorned 
with  the  same  royal  coat-of-arms  which  they  brought 
with  them  from  Trinity  Church,  New  York,  when 
the  British  army  evacuated  that  city  in  1783.  The 
first  rector  of  ^aint  John  was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Blssett. 

On  the  loth  July,  1788,  the  provincial  legisla- 
ture was  transferred  from  St.  John  to  Fredericton, 
where  its  sessions  have  since  been  held.  Saint  John 
lost  nothing  by  ceasing  to  be  the  capital,  and  Freder- 
icton made  a  gain.  For  some  years  after  this  the 
annals  of  Saint  John  are  scanty  enough.  The  prog- 
ress of  a  town  in  population  and  wealth  is  generally 
of  so  gradual  a  character  as  to  leave  no  special 
points  which  the  historian  can  take  hold  of;  and 
this  was  notably  the  case  with  Saint  John,  which, 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF  SAINT  JOHN.  127 

after  the  first  burst  of  activity  caused  by  the  ar- 
rival of  the  Loyalists,  for  some  years  must  have 
progressed  very  slowly.  In  some  remarks  on  Nova 
Scotia  and  New  Brunswick,  said  to  have  been  writ- 
ten by  the  surveyor-general  of  the  former  Province, 
which  appear  among  the  Transactions  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Historical  Society  for  1704,  it  is  said  of 
Saint  John,  *'  Its  streets  are  reguUir  and  spacious  ; 
and  there  are  manv  decent,  well-built  houses.  It 
contains  about  one  thousand  inhabitants."  This 
paper,  which  bears  no  date,  must  have  been  written 
about  the  year  1790. 

In  1793  war  broke  out  between  Great  Britain  and 
France ;  a  war  which,  with  tv>^o  short  intermissions, 
was  destined  to  last  for  two  and  twenty  years.  A 
provincial  regiment  Avas  at  once  raised  in  New  Bruns- 
wick, of  which  Gov.  Carleton  was  colonel,  and  Bev- 
erly Robinson  .lieutenant-colonel.  On  the  6th  jMay 
intelligence  was  received  herie  of  a  French  orivateer 
of  ten  guns  with  45  men  cruising  in  tht^  Bay  of 
Fundy ;  and  a  night  patrol  was  establislied.  Capt. 
Robert  Reed,  with  a  party  of  "  Independent  Volun- 
teers," took  the  first  round  of  duty.  Another  guard- 
house was  ordered  to  be  fitted  up  for  the  watch,  and 
a  double  guard  placed  on  Lower  Cove  Battery.  This 
work  was  then  considered  a  formidable  one,  its  guns 
being  eighteen-pounders,  and  it  was  believed  no  ene- 


128  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

mj^'s  ship  could  pass  it.  It  was  proposed  to  fit  out  a 
vessel,  and  cruise  after  the  Frenchman.  A  large  pri- 
vateer sloop  was  fitted  out  at  Saint  John,  and  sent 
out  under  Capt.  Thomas;  but  the  Frenchman  pru- 
dently kept  out  of  the  Avay. 

In  May,  1704,  occurred  the  highest  freshet  ever 
knov/n  in  the  Saint  John.  In  June  Prince  Edward, 
Duke  of  Kent,  the  father  of  Queen  Victoria,  visited 
the  Province.  He  left  Halifax  on  the  14th,  and 
sailed  from  Annapolis  on  the  16th  in  the  "Zebra" 
sloop-of-war.  At  Saint  John  he  was  received  b^r  a 
captain's  guard  of  the  king's  New  Brunswick  regi- 
ment. 

Attended  by  Gov.  Carleton,  he  hastened  on  to 
Fredericton,  where  he  arrived  on  Saturday  evening, 
the  21st.  From  the  river-bank  where  he  landed,  the 
road  was  lined  by  the  troops  in  garrison  ?nd  by  Capt. 
Jarvis's  Fredericton  militia ;  and  the  town  was  illu- 
minated. Next  morning,  notwithstanding  the  sacred 
character  of  the  day,  royal  salutes  were  fired,  a  levee 
held,  addresses  presented  by  his  Majesty's  counsel 
for  the  Province  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  county 
of  York,  and  the  king's  New-Brunswick  militia  were 
inspected.  Early  on  Monday  morning  the  prince  and 
Gov.  Carleton  embarked  again,  and,  passing  through 
tlie  falls,  reached  Saint  John  at  two,  p.m.  On  Tues- 
day, the  24th,  the  prince  inspected  the  batteries  and 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  129 

the  ordnance  stores ;  and  at  tlireeheld,  P.M.,  a  levee  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Chipman,  the  solicitor-general,  which 
was  crowded  with  the  chief  citizens  and  the  officers 
in  garrison.  His  grandson,  the  Prince  of  Wales,  was 
entertained  in  this  same  house.  The  Duke  of  Kent, 
who  seems  to  have  been  in  a  great  hurry,  left  Saint 
John  in  "  The  Zebra "  the  same  evening,  amid  the 
salutes  and  cheers  of  the  inhabitants,  and  the  firing 
of  guns  from  the  batteries. 

In  1795  there  was  considerable  fear  of  French 
attacks,  both  in  Saint  John  and  Halifax ;  and  the 
provincial  regiment  was  ordered  from  Fredericton 
to  Saint  John.  Privateer  vessels,  sailing  under 
French  colors,  were  at  this  time  making  havoc  among 
the  merchant  vessels  of  New  Brunswick  and  Nova 
Scotia.  The  house  of  assembly  addressed  the  lieu- 
tenant-governor on  the  subject  of  procuring  cruis- 
ers or  guard-ships,  to  be  stationed  in  the  Bay  of 
Fundy.  Additional  defences  were  also  erected  at 
Saint  John,  at  the  instance  of  the  lieutenant-gover- 
nor, which  the  house  refused  to  vote  money  to  pay 
for.  William  Campbell  was  in  this  year  appointed 
mayor  of  Saint  John,  an  office  which  he  continued 
to  hold  for  more  than  twenty  years.  In  this  year, 
a.oi),  a  grist  wind-mill  was  erected  on  King  Square, 
on  the  lot  on  which  the  Hazen  House  now  stands. 
The  enterprise  was  abandoned  in  1800. 


130  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

In  1796  the  -commissioners  under  the  fifth  article 
of  the  Treaty  of  Ghent,  to  determine  which  was  tlie 
true  Saint  Croix,  were  appointed.  Ward  Chipman 
of  Saint  John  was  appointed  agent  on  the  part  of  his 
Britannic  Majesty,  and  E.  Winslow  secretary  of  the 
commission.  In  1798  the  commissioners  gave  their 
decision,  which  was  that  the  Scoudac  was  the  true 
Saint  Croix  of  Champlain. 

In  1799  the  Duke  of  Kent,  who  had  been  in  Eng- 
land for  his  health,  returned  to  Nova  Scotia  ;  and  the 
corporation  of  Saint  John  sent  him  an  address  of 
welcome.  The  people  of  New  Brunswick  this  year 
also  showed  their  patriotism  by  subscribing  X3,085 
sterling,  as  a  voluntary  contribution  to  the  military 
chest  for  1798. 

Prior  to  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
it  was  not  iinfrequent  to  see  negro  slaves  advertised 
for  sale  in  the  ''  Ro3'al  Gazette."  Finally  the  legal- 
ity of  slavery  was  tested  before  the  Supreme  Court. 
On  Feb.  18,  1800,  the  Supreme  Court  divided  equal- 
ly on  this  question ;  the  CL^ef  Justice  and  Judge 
Upham  holding  slavery  to  be  legal  in  the  Province, 
and  Judges  Saunders  and  Allen  considering  slavery 
to  be  illegal.  It  was  in  this  j'ear  that  the  first  pro- 
posal was  made  of  a  survey  for  a  canal,  to  connect 
the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Bav  of  Fundv  ;  a  work 
which  is  destined  in  a  few  years  to  be  an  accom- 
plished fact,  and  of  enormous  benefit  to  Saint  John. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  131 

In  1800  the  war  with  France  was  going  on  wath 
as  much  vigor  as  ever ;  and  the  4th  of  July  of  that 
year  a  public  fast  was  proclaimed  in  the  Province 
on  account  of  it.  In  1801  most  of  the  counties 
received  grants  to  aid  them  in  erecting  court-houses 
and  jails. 

In  this  year  the  Duke  of  Kent  interested  himself 
regarding  the  construction  of  a  road  between  Halifax 
and  Quebec.  The  famous  Saint  John  dog-tax  act 
was  alt^o  passed  in  this  year,  the  money  realized  there- 
from to  be  for  the  support  of  the  poor.  The  reads 
of  New  Brunswick,  about  this  time,  seem  to  have 
been  in  a  bad  way  ;  for  in  January,  1803,  D.  Camp- 
bell reported  that  there  were  not  ten  miles  of  road 
in  the  Province  fit  for  a  wheel  carriage,  except  in  the 
county  of  Sunbury. 

In  1805  the  public  grammar  school  in  Saint  John 
was  incorporated,  and  the  College  of  New  Brunswick 
established  at  Fredericton. 

Early  in  January,  1806,  the  news  of  Nelson's  great 
victory  at  Trafalgar  reached  Saint  John,  and  caused 
great  rejoicing.  Admiral  CoUingwood's  despatches 
were  published  in  the  "  Gazette  "  of  Jan.  13.  A 
ball  was  held  at  Cody's  coffee-house  in  honor  of 
{he  event,  which  was  attended,  to  use  the  language 
of  the  "  Gazette,"  by  a  '•  great  assembly  of  beauty 
and  fashion."     There  were  also  celebrations  at  Nor- 


132  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

ton  and  Kingston,  attended  by  the  inevitable  dinner 
and  the  drinking  of  tlie  usual  loj'al  toasts. 

In  1808  the  good  people  of  Saint  John  seem  to 
have  been  under  a  good  deal  of  anxiety  with  regard 
to  the  war  w4th  France  ;  for  in  January  of  that  year 
an  order  was  passed  that  no  vessel  or  boat  should  be 
allowed  to  leave  the  harbor  of  Saint  John  without 
the  countersign.  On  Feb.  12  Gabriel  G.  Ludlow, 
the  first  mayor  of  Saint  John,  died,  and  was  buried 
in  Carleton.  He  had  been  president  and  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  Province  from  the  year  1803.  In 
June  Capt.  Shore,  with  two  companies  of  the  New 
Brunswick  Fencibles,  was  sent  to  garrison  Sydney, 
C.B.  Among  the  wonderful  events  of  this  year  may 
be  mentioned  an  accident  which  happened  to  the 
Saint  Andrews  packet  '*  Speedy."  While  lying  at 
anchor,  a  whale,  or  some  other  sea-monster,  fouled 
itself  in  her  cable,  and  actually  dragged  her  from  her 
anchorage  for  a  distance  of  more  than  three  miles,  to 
the  infinite  consternation  of  those  on  board. 

In  June,  1809,  the  101st  Regiment,  which  had 
been  in  garrison  at  Saint  John,  was  sent  to  the  West 
Indies ;  and  part  of  the  New  Brunswick  Regiment  was 
sent  to  Saint  John  to  take  its  place.  During  the  sum- 
mer the  troops  were  employed  in  making  a  road  from 
Fredericton  to  Saint. John.  On  Oct.  16,  1809,  a 
negro  wench  named  Nancy  was  advertised  for  sale 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  133 

in  the  "Rojal  Gazette,"  by  Daniel  Brown,  and  a 
gcod  title  guaranteed;  so  that,  at  that  time,  slavery 
was  still  deemed  to  exist  in  New  Brunswick. 

In  1811  every  thing  pointed  to  a  war  between 
Great  Britain  and  the  United  States.  The  New 
Brunswick  Fencibles  were,  on  Feb.  18,  gazetted  as 
his  Majesty's  104th  Regiment,  the  first  colonial  regi- 
ment of  the  line.  On  Oct.  1  five  commissioners 
of  customs,  for  a  special  revenue  inquiry,  arrived 
at  Saint  John  ;  and  on  the  same  dav  an  order  in 
council  was  passed,  proclaiming  Saint  John  a  free 
pojt.  On  the  30th  October  the  freedom  of  the  city 
was  granted  to  Lieut.-Col.  McCarthy  of  the  Royal 
Artillery,  who  was  about  to  leave  the  Province. 

In  1812  the  long-impending  war  came.  War  was 
not  formally  declared  by  the  United  States  against 
Great  Britain  until  June  18,  but  the  colonists  had 
made  preparations  for  it  long  before.  A  public  fast 
was  p  In'.jed  in  New  Brunswick;  but,  while  the 
people  were  praying,  they  were  also  sharpening  their 
swords.  On  the  9th  of  March  an  act  was  passed 
appropriating  the  sum  of  X  10,000  to  his  Majesty,  in 
defence  of  the  Province.  This  was  a  handsome  do- 
nation, for  the  total  revenue  of  New  Brunswick  at 
that  period  was  only  <£  6,000.  On  the  same  day  an 
act  was  passed  "  to  encourage  the  erection  of  a  pas- 
sage-boat, to  be  worked  by  steam,  for  facilitating  the 


1.34  GREAT  FIRE   IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

communication-  between  the  city  of  Saint  John  and 
Fredericton."  This  act  gave  certain  persons  the 
exclusive  privilege  of  navigating  the  Saint  John  by 
steam  for  ten  years. 

United  States  privateers  soon  began  to  swarm  on 
the  coast,  and  the  Saint  John  people  went  into  pri- 
vate(  ring  on  their  own  account.  A  large  number  of 
men-of-war  also  cruised  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy;  so 
that  between  the  arrival  of  prize  vessels,  and  the 
excitement  attending  the  news  from  the  seat  of  war, 
mai  ters  were  kept  pretty  lively  in  Saint  John.  The 
people  on  the  borders  of  New  Brunswick,  on  both 
sides  of  the  line,  took  no  part  in  the  contest;  and 
t])is  wise  neutrality,  while  it  prevented  useless  blood- 
shed, also  left  no  bitter  memories  after  the  war  was 
over.  Gen.  Smyth,  the  administrator  of  the  Prov- 
ince, on  the  3d  of  July  issued  a  proclamation  for- 
bidding any  one  under  his  command  from  offering 
any  molestation  to  the  United  States  people  living 
on  the  frontier  of  New  Brunswick,  or  interfering 
with  their  goods  or  their  coasting-vessels.  The  war 
was  not  only  very  unpopular  in  Maine,  but  through- 
out the  whole  of  New  Encjland.  When  the  cleclara- 
tion  of  war  reached  Boston,  all  the  vessels  in  port, 
except  three,  immediately  hoisted  their  colors  half- 
mast  ;  and  the  people  soon  compelled  the  three  to 
follow  the  example  of  the  others.     On  the  Canadian 


niSTORTCAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  135 

frontier,  and  on  the  sea,  liowever,  the  conflict  was 
maintained  with  vicror.  Towards  the  close  of  this 
year,  various  defensive  works  were  erected  at  Saint 
John,  Fort  Frederick  was  repaired  and  strengthened, 
and  batteries  erected  on  Partridc^e  Ishmd  and  other 
points ;  and  a  prominent  pentagonal  work  was  pro- 
posed to  be  erected  at  the  mouth  of  the  Nashwaak. 
A  shocking  occurrence  happened  on  the  5tli  of 
December,  1812,  which  deeply  concerned  the  people 
of  Saint  John.  H.  ^I.  brig  of  war ''  Plumper,"  bound 
from  Halifax  to  Saint  John,  was  wrecked  near  Dipper 
Harbor,  and  upwards  of  fifty  persons  on  board  of 
her  drowned.  She  was  a  twelve-gun  brig,  was  com- 
manded by  Lieut.  J.  Bray,  and  had  810,000  in  specie 
for  Saint  John.  This  was  probably  the  most  fatal 
shi2)wreck  that  ever  took  place  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy. 
There  was  at  this  time  a  demand  for  more  troops 
in  Western  Canada;  and  accordingly  the  New  Bruns- 
wick Regiment,  the  104th,  was  ordered  to  march 
overland  to  Quebec.  They  left  Saint  John  under  the 
command  of  ^lajor  Drummond,  on  Feb.  11,  1813, 
the  people  helping  them  out  as  far  as  the  roads  were 
passable  with,  sleighs.  Beyond  that,  the  journey 
was  performed  on  snow-shoes.  This  march,  consid- 
ering the  season  of  the  year,  and  the  character  of 
the  country  traversed,  must  take  its  place  among  the 
greatest  marches  recorded  in  history.     It  is  safe  to 


136  GREAT  FIRE   TN  SAINT  JOHN. 

say  that  such  a  march  could  not  have  been  performed 
by  any  other  men  but  tlie  hardy  forest  pioneers  of 
Northern  America.  The  regiment  reached  Quebec 
as  compact  and  perfect  as  when  it  left  St.  John, 
without  losini":  a  man.  Arnold  lost  more  than  three 
hundred  on  the  shorter  route  by  the  Kennebec,  and 
during  a  mild  season  of  the  year;  yet  Arnold's 
march  has  been  lauded  as  a  wonderful  proof  of  the 
vigor  of  the  Continental  troops  in  1775,  while  this 
great  march  of  the  sons  of  the  Loyalists  is  seldom 
mentioned. 

The  departure  of  the  104th  Regiment  left  Saint 
John  some-v'ha,^  bare  of  troops,  although  their  places 
were  in  part  supplied  by  the  second  battalion  of  the 
Eighth  Regiment,  which  remained  there.  In  compli- 
ance with  the  wish  for  more  arms.  Sir  Geor[>e  Pre- 
vest  sent  from  Halifax  ten  twenty-four  pounders  for 
the  batteries  on  Partridge  Island,  and  one  .thousand 
stand  of  muskets,  by  the  store-ship  "  Diligence  ;  " 
biit  this  vessel  was  driven  ashore  in  a  snow-storm  on 
Beale's  Island,  to  the  westward  of  Machias.  The 
vessel  and  what  was  saved  of  her  cargo  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy.  About  this  time  a  New-Bruns- 
wick fencible  regiment  was  raised  by  Gen.  Coffin  for 
the  defence  of  the  Province ;  and  considerable  num- 
bers of  militia-men  from  Westmoreland  and  other 
counties  were  brought  to  Saint  John  to  assist  the 
regulars  in  garrison  duty. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  137 

On  Monday,  the  twenty-third  day  of  May,  1814, 
the  news  arrived  at  Saint  John  of  the  entry  of  the 
allied  sovereiG^ns  into  Paris,  and  the  abdication  (»f 
Napoleon.  Great  rejoicings  followed.  An  ox  was 
roasted  whole  in  King's  Square,  and  the  city  was 
illuminated.  The  Treaty  of  Paris,  signed  on  the 
80 th  of  the  same  month,  brought  the  long  period  of 
war  with  France  to  a  close.  The  war  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States  was  brought  to  a  close 
a  few  months  later.  The  conclusion  of  this  war 
brought  a  curious  immigration  to  Saint  John.  Many 
of  the  black  slaves  in  Maryland  and  Virginia  had 
availed  themselves  of  the  presence  of  the  British 
navy  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  had  taken  refuge  on 
board  tlie  English  men-of-war.  Three  hundred  of 
these  emancipated  slaves  arrived  at  Saint  John  on 
the  8th  June,  1815;  and  the  people  here  were  a  good 
deal  puzzled  how  to  dispose  of  them.  They  were 
subsequently  settled  at  Loch  Lomond,  where  their 
descendants  are  still  numerous. 

News  of  the  total  defeat  of  Bonaparte  at  Water- 
loo was  received  at  Saint  John  towards  the  close  of 
July,  and  of  course  the  people  rejoiced  as  loyal  citi- 
zens should.  A  patriotic  fund  was  raised  in  all  the 
colonies,  as  well  as  in  the  mother  country,  for  the 
families  of  the  slain  and  of  the  severely  wounded 
in  that  great  battle.     The  large  sum  of  1,500  pounds 


138  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

was  subscribed  in  Saint  John,  the  first  sixteen  names 
on  one  list  opened  here  giving  470  pounds.  A  theat- 
rical performance  was  given  in  the  old  theatre  at 
the  corner  of  Drury  Lane  and  Union  Street,  which 
realized  twenty  pounds.  That  was  the  last  time  the 
building  w\as  used  for  theatrical  purposes. 

On  Feb.  12,  181G,  the  fust  advertisement  of  a 
steamboat  to  be  run  between  Saint  John  and  Fred- 
ericton  was  published  in  the  "  Royal  Gazette  ;  "  and 
on  the  11th  of  April  the  steamboat  "  Gen.  Smyth  " 
was  hiunched  at  Saint  John.  She  was  owned  by  J. 
Ward,  R.  Smith,  II.  Johnston,  and  P.  Frazer ;  and  a 
considerable  de^Tce  of  dilic^ence  seems  to  have  been 
exhibited  in  fitting  her  out,  for  she  arrived  at  Fred- 
ericton  on  her  first  trip  on  the  21st  May. 

On  tlie  2d  February,  1817,  Gen.  T.  Carleton,  who 
had  been  lieutenant-governor  of  the  Province  since 
its  first  inception,  died  in  England  at  the  age  of 
eighty-one.  Gen.  Smyth  became  lieutenant-gover- 
nor in  his  place.  On  the  19th  February,  the  New- 
Brunswick  Regiment,  the  famous  104th,  was  reduced. 
In  this  year  a  meeting  was  held  in  Saint  John  for 
the  purpose  of  establishing  a  national  school.  This 
year  the  population  of  New  Brunswick  was  esti- 
mated at  thirty-five  thousand.  It  was  in  tliis  year 
also  that  the  first  brick  house  was  erected  in  Saint 
John,  —  the  building  on  the  coiner  of  Germain  and 
Church  Streets,  now  destroyed. 


HISTORICAL   f^ KETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  139 

During  the  sprinj^  of  1818,  the  first  pine  logs 
were  brought  down  the  Saint  John  from  above 
Grand  Falls ;  and  it  was  in  this  year  that  citizens  of 
the  United  States  first  began  to  assert  territorial 
claims  on  the  Madawaska  and  Upper  Saint  John. 

In  June,  1819,  about  thirty-two  hundred  immi- 
grants, mostly  disbanded  soldiers,  landed  in  Saint 
John.  An  emigrant  register  office  was  established 
liere  in  October  of  that  year ;  and  for  some  years 
after  that  time  the  number  of  immigrants  wdio  annu- 
ally came  to  Saint  John  was  large.  It  was  the 
beginning  of  a  period  of  great  commercial  pros- 
perity, of  abnormal  growth,  which  well-nigh  ended 
in  utter  ruin. 

On  the  2Gth  March,  1820,  the  Bank  of  New  Bruns- 
wick was  established.  This  institution,  after  an 
interval  of  fifty-five  years,  still  exists,  with  greatly 
increased  capital  and  augmented  prosperity  ;  and 
its  impregnable  vaults  saved  many  a  man's  fortune 
in  the  last  great  fire.  The  trade  of  Saint  John  was 
increasing  so  fast,  that,  in  October  of  this  same 
year,  there  were  about  a  hundred  square-rigged 
vessels  in  Saint  John  Harbor.  In  1822  the  first 
cargo  of  deals  was  sent  to  England. 

In  1824  there  was  a  great  fire  in  Saint  John,  which 
destroyed  much  property.  In  this  year,  which  was 
one  of  great  inflation  and  supposititious  prosperity,  a 


140  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

steamer  was  started  to  ply  between  Saint  John  and 
Passamaquoddy.  In  this  year  the  first  census  was 
taken,  and  the  population  of  the  Province  was 
found  to  be  74,176.  The  population  of  Saint  John 
County  at  this  time  was  12,907. 

In  March,  1826,  a  great  and  destructive  fire  took 
place  in  ludiantown,  a  suburb  of  Saint  John.  The 
year  1826  was  a  sickly  one  in  Saint  John,  and,  in  a 
financial  point  of  view,  the  most  disastrous  the  city 
has  ever  known.  Hundreds  were  ruined  by  the 
re-action  in  England  after  the  speculative  years 
1824  and  1825 ;  and  much  colonial  timber  was  sold 
for  less  than  it  had  cost  to  convey  it  across  the 
Atlantic.  It  was  long  before  Saint  John  recovered 
from  the  disasters  of  1826.  In  1827  steam  navi- 
gation between  Saint  John  and  Digby  was  com- 
menced, and  has  been  continued  to  the  present 
time.  In  December,  1828,  the  Court-House  on 
King's  Square  was  completed. 

In  October,  1834,  cholera  broke  out  in  Saint 
John ;  and  beats  for  Fredericton  were  ordered  to 
stop  at  the  short  ferry  for  inspection.  Nov.  8 
there  were  103  cases  of  cholera  in  this  city,  and 
had  been  47  deaths.  In  this  year  a  cenisus  of  the 
province  was  taken,  and  the  population  of  Saint 
John  County  ascertained  to  be  20,668. 

In   1835   an   act  to   incorporate   the   Saint  John 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  141 

Bridge  Company  was  passed.  The  object  was  the 
erection  of  a  bridge  over  the  falls.  The  corporat- 
ors named  in  the  act  were  B.  L.  Peters,  Ralph 
M.  Jarvis,  Nehemiah  Merritt,  John  Robertson, 
James  Peters,  jun.,  James  Hendricks,  David  Hat- 
field, Robert  W.  Crookshank,  Robert  Rankin,  R. 
F.  Hazen,  E.  L.  JarvLs,  Charles  Simonds,  E.  B. 
Chandler,  William  Crane,  Hugh  Johnston,  Thomas 
Wier,  John  W.  Weldon,  and  Jedediah  Slason. 
The  capital  stock  of  the  company  was  to  consist  of 
£20,000. 

On  the  13th  January,  1837,  a  great  calamity  befell 
Saint  John,  nearly  the  whole  of  the  business  part  of 
the  citv  beino^  burned  down.  The  number  of  houses 
destroyed  was  115,  and  the  damage  to  property  was 
estimated  at  £250,000.  On  April  30  of  the  same 
year,  steam  navigation  on  the  Saint  John  took  a 
decided  advance.  The  steamer  '' Novelty"  reached 
Woodstock,  being  the  first  steamer  that  succeeded 
in  ascending  the  Meductic  Rapids.  On  May  20,  the 
provincial  banks  all  suspended  specie  payment,  in 
sympathy  with  the  money-panic  which  overwhelmed 
America  at  this  time.  On  Aug.  7,  the  bridge  struc- 
ture over  the  falls,  which  the  company  above  spoken 
of  were  erecting,  fell,  and  killed  seven  persons. 
This  vear  was  si^i^nalized  b^^  troubles  in  Lower 
Canada ;  and,  in  consequence,  the  Forty-third  Regi- 


M2  GREAT  VI RE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

mciit  was  miiiclieJ  overland  from  Frcderidoii  <c 
Quebec,  leaving  the  former  place  on  the  IGth  De- 
cember, and  reaehin^^  their  (h^stination  on  the  28th 
Dcicember.  The  militia  of  York  and  Saint  John 
(younties  were  called  out  at  this  time,  and  did  [gar- 
rison duty.  On  the  2d  August,  1838,  a  dreadful 
calamity  happened,  by  tlie  upsetting  of  a  boat  in 
tlie  falls,  nineteen  j)ersons  losing  th(;ir  lives.  In 
this  year  the  Saint  John  Mechanics'  Tr.stitute  was 
cstablish(;d  ;  Beverly  Robinson,  Esq.,  being  its  first 
j)resident.  ^ 

The  following  year  (1839)  was  memorable  for  the  ' 
boundary  disputes,  l)ringing  fireat  Britain  and  the 
United  States  to  the  verge  of  war.  Saint  Jolin  was 
intensely  excited  ;  but  war,  fortunately,  was  averted. 
In  August  anoth(;r  terribly  destructive  fire  took  ' 
place  in  Saint  John,  by  whi(di  pro[)erty  to  the  value 
of  X200,000  was  destroyed.  The  people  of  this  city 
became  seriously  alarmed  ;  and  at  a  s[)ecial  session 
of  the  legislature,  held  in  September,  an  act  for  the 
better  prevent  i(.'n  of  fires  in  Saint  John  was  2>assed. 

On  the  2Tthof  May,  1840,  Sir  John  Harvey  liiid 
the  foundation-stone  of  the  Saint  John  Mechanics'  In- 
stitute building  ;  a  structure  inseparably  eonnccted 
witli  the  social  and  educational  history  of  the  ])la(;e. 
On  the  23d  of  July  of  this  year,  the  Right  Hon.  P.  O. 
Thompson,  the  governor-general  of  Canada,  arrived 


niHTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  8 A  1ST  JOHN.  113 

at  Saint  John  from  Halifax,  att(Mide<l  hy  Sir  Joliti 
TTarv(;y.  He  was  received  liere  with  mueh  consid- 
eralion.  The  population  of  Saint  John  ('ounty  wjis 
f(jund  to  be  o2,9r>7.  The  population  of  the  city 
proj)er  was  19,281.  Tiie  increase  since  tlie  census 
of  18.j4  liad  Ix-en  verylarj^e.  On  tlie  17th  of  Murch, 
1841,  there  was  anoth(;r  destructive  lire  in  Saint 
Joljii,  lit  wliicli  four  Hves  wtue  lost.  Public  ineetin<js 
were  held  ubout  this  time,  to  petition  her  M;ij(;sty 
at^ainst  thr  jeij!o\al  of  tlie  duties  on  IJaltic  timb(;r, 
l)y  whieh  colonial  wood  was  protected.  On  the  17th 
of  Au'iust  of  this  year,  the  first  battalion  of  tlie  Saint 
Joh.i  city  militia,  under  the  commau<l  of  (^ol.  Peters, 
was  j)r('sented  by  his  ex(^ellency  the  lieutenant-gov- 
ernor with  a  suit  of  colors.  On  Au<^.  2(5,  a  (talanii- 
tous  fini  broke;  out  in  lh(3  sul>urban  town  of  Portland, 
whi(di  destroyed  sixty  houses.  The  damaj^a;  was 
estimated  at  X3(l,0t)0.  Still  the  lire;  record  of  the 
year  is  not  exhauste<l ;  for  on  Nov.  1">  th(;re  was 
another  frightful  fire  in  St.  John,  whi(di  destroyed 
the  new  mark(.'t-house,  and  the  buihliug  in  which 
the  ])ublic  offices  were.  Many  incendiary  attem[)t.s 
were  made  at  this  time,  and  the  public  mind  was 
liicj^hly  excited  in  conse([uenee. 

July  20, 1845,  there  was  another  great  fire  in  Saint 
John,  which  destroyed  forty  buildings.  On  the  Khli 
ot  October  of  that  year,  the  foundation-stone  of  the 


144  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

cathedral  was  laid  in  Fredericton  by  Sir  William 
Colebrooke.  In  this  year  the  Saint  John  Gas-Light 
Company  was  incorporated ;  and,  on  the  evening  of 
the  18th  of  Septeml)er  of  the  same  year,  gas  was 
turned  on  for  the  first  time. 

On  the  27th  of  February,  1849,  there  was  another 
great  and  destructive  fire  in  Saint  John, — on  King 
Street  and  King  Square,  —  and  in  the  following 
month  there  was  another  great  fire,  in  which  about 
one  hundred  houses  were  burned.  On  the  12th  of 
July  of  this  year,  riots  with  loss  of  life  occurred  in 
the  city,  growing  out  of  religious  differences.  The 
28th  of  July  was  the  date  of  a  public  meeting  held 
at  Saint  John,  to  consider  the  depressed  state  of  the 
Province.  At  this  meeting  the  colonial  association 
was  organized. 

In  1851  another  census  of  the  Province  was  taken, 
by  which  it  appeared  that  the  population  of  Siiint 
John  was  22,745.  Since  that  time  its  growth  has 
been  steady  and  substantial ;  in  18G1  its  population 
numbered  27,317,  and  in  1871,  28,805. 

The  reason  of  this  apparent  slowness  of  growth 
during  the  last  decade  is,  that  Saint  John  has  in  a 
measure  overgroAvn  its  limits,  and  that  any  consider- 
able increase  hereafter  can  never  take  place  in  the 
city  proper,  its  bounds  being  too*  circumscribed   to 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  SAINT  JOHN.  145 

admit  of  a  large  population.  Portland,  and  the 
parishes  of  Lancaster  and  Simonds,  now  are  in- 
creased by  the  overflowing  of  the  p'^p'^l^.tion  of 
Saint  John.  The  population  of  Saint  John  County 
in  1871  was  52,120. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  GBEAT  FIRE. 

Tlie  Origin  unknown,  —  The  Sudden  Appearance  of  the  Flames.  — 
The  Spread  of  the  Calamity. —  The  Fire  Department. — The 
Streets  and  Wharves  destroyed.  —  The  Public  Buildings.  —  The 
Shipping.  —  The  Churches.  — Explosions,  Deaths,  Accidents,  &c. 

"VTOTHTNG  is  publicly  known  about  the  origin  of 
-^^  the  fire ;  and  the  circumstances  connected  with 
it  are  such  as  to  indicate  that  the  combustion  began 
by  accident  in  some  hidden  corner.  Perhaps  a  spark 
borne  by  the  wind  froni  some  chimney,  perhaps  a 
lucifer  match  carelessly  let  fall  where  the  pressure 
of  foot  or  wind  would  grind  it  into  ignition,  and 
possibly  some  lover  of  mischief  or  vicious  wretch 
intentionally,  set  the  fire  which  resulted  so  disas- 
trously to  the  unoffending  people.  The  ground 
facts  upon  which  all  the  theories,  speculations,  and 
arguments  must  rest  are  simply  these :  viz.,  1st,  The 
fire  began  in  a  wooden  building  on  York  Point  Slip. 
2d,    When  discovered,  it   was    burning  rapidly   in 

large    bundles    of   hay.     3d,   The    breeze    was    so 
116 


THE  GREAT  FIRE.  147 

fresh  and  strong  that  the  smallest  fire  in  such  a 
place  would  instantly  leap  into  a  conflagration. 
How  rapid  was  the  increase  of  the  fire,  may  be  un- 
derstood when  we  state  that  within  one  hundred  and 
thirty  seconds  after  the  alarm  was  sounded  Engine 
No.  3  was  throwing  water  upon  the  ignited  buildings. 
Other  engines  followed  immediately ;  but,  before  they 
could  find  a  suitable  location  to  play  upon  the  flames, 
the  conflagration  b}^  means  of  sparks  and  heat  had 
spread  to  a  score  of  wooden  structures.  "  The  Saint 
John  Daily  Telegraph,"  in  its  fii'st  edition  published 
after  the  fire  thus  described  the  progress  of  the  great 
calamity :  — 

"  The  fire  was  first  discovered  in  a  building  owned 
by  Mr.  Fairweather  on  the  south  of  York  Point  Slip, 
next  to  McLauchlan's  boiler-shop  ;  and  to  the-  latter 
building  the  flames  had  spread  before  the  firemen 
had  reached  the  scene.  The  engines  arrived,  and  did 
their  best  to  stop  the  flames ;  but  all  their  efforts 
were  in  vain.  Nothing  could  be  done.  The  flames 
then  spread  to  the  various  buildings  on  Hare's 
Wharf,  which  were  also  quickly  consumed  ;  and  be- 
fore the  fire  could  be  checked  it  broke  out  with  a 
roar  into  Smyth  Street,  carrying  every  thing  before 
it.  From  there  the  flames  spread  into  Drury  Lane 
and  Mill  Street,  following  that  into  Dock  Street, 
taking  both  sides.    Ere  this,  however,  the  rear  of  the 


148  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN, 

London  House  snd  adjacent  buildings  had  been  at- 
tacked by  the  fire. 

"  The  Portland  engine  and  firemen,  and  a  Carleton 
engine,  soon  came  to  the  relief  of  the  city  men. 

"  One  engine  had  been  stationed  at  the  corner  of 
Mill  and  Union  Streets,  while  the  men  with  branches 
were  down  on  Union  Street,  opposite  Drury  Lane. 
The  buildings  were  a  mass  of  flames  at  the  end  of 
Smyth  Street  and  Drury  Lane ;  and,  while  the  work- 
ers were  vainly  endeavoring  to  have  the  fire  end 
there,  a  momentary  gale  took  the  flames  across 
Union  Street  to  the  opposite  houses,  and  then  they 
receded ;  but  their  touch  had  been  fatal,  and  in  less 
than  five  minutes  the  erections  were  doomed  to 
destruction.  Both  sides  of  the  street  were  soon  in 
the  grasp  of  the  devouring  element ;  and  the  men 
lingered  so  long  in  their  struggle  to  save  the  build- 
ings that  at  last  they  were  obliged  to  drop  their 
branch-pipes,  and  run  up  the  street,  after  which  they 
dragged  the  hose  after  them.  Another  lot  of  men 
were  working  at  the  foot  of  Union  Street,  and  by 
placing  boards  in  front  of  their  faces  managed  to 
battle  with  the  flames  until  their  clothing  became 
singed. 

"  When  it  became  evident  that  the  business  part 
of  the  city  was  in  the  greatest  peril,  there  was  a  great 
rush  to  the  Bank  of  New  Brunswick  and  its  vaults. 


THE  GREAT  FIRE.  149 

Bankers  brought  great  heavy  boxes  of  specie,  and 
immense  packages  of  notes,  also  great  numbers  of 
boxes  of  bonds,  and  bills  of  exchange,  and  office 
secretaries ;  many  others  besides  bankers  did  so ;  and 
Mr.  Schofield,  who  was  in  charge,  kindly  placed  the 
use  of  the  vaults  at  their  disposal.  The  use  of  the 
cellars  and  other  parts  of  the  bank  was  also  per- 
mitted. At  that  time  the  bank,  which  had  taken 
most  precautions  against  fire  in  regard  to  its  front, 
was  threatened  in  the  rear ;  and  whether  it  would  be 
able  to  fight  the  enemy  was  doubtful. 

"  It  was  heart-rending  to  witness  sick,  infirm,  and 
aged  persons,  being  dragged  through  the  streets  in 
search  of  a  place  of  safety,  which  it  was  very  diffi- 
cult to  find.  Women  and  children  wept  freely, 
and  even  full-grown  men  could  not  restrain  their 
emotions.  Streams  of  blood,  the  results  of  injuries, 
marked  the  faces  of  several  men ;  and  others  had 
received  bruises  and  been  maimed  in  various  ways. 
Many  men  and  women  might  be  seen,  utterly 
exhausted  with  the  fatigue  and  the  heat,  which 
became  insufferable,  dragging  bedding,  pieces  of 
furniture,  and  other  articles,  through  the  streets ;  a 
vain  task  in  many  cases,  as  the  new  places  of  refuge 
sought  out  often  proved  as  unsafe  as  those  that  were 
deserted. 

"  Queen  and  King  Squares  and  other  open  spaces 


150  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

were  speedily  piled  with  bedding,  chairs,  tables, 
and  other  valuables.  Then  women  and  children 
gathered  to  the  same  spots,  partly  to  try  and  watch 
over  their  property,  and  partly  because  they  knew 
no  other  places  of  safety.  The  burning  of  the  Bell- 
Tower,  the  flight  of  cinders  in  all  directions,  and  the 
danger  of  its  falling  on  those  who  were  near  it, 
produced  an  unpleasant  sensation  on  the  square. 

"  It  was  somewhat  disheartening  to  the  band  of 
workers  to  learn  that  a  building  on  Main  Street,  a 
mile  away,  had  caught  fire  from  the  cinders  that 
were  hurled  away  from  the  scene  of  the  confla- 
gration. This  was  totally  unexpected,  and  the 
people  were  of  course  not  prepared  for  it :  so  the 
flames  went,  no  one  being  able  to  offer  any  resist- 
ance ;  and  house  after  house  was  razed,  while  the 
occupants  had  only  an  opportunity  of  saving  their 
efi'ects. 

"  Proceeding  along  Smyth  Street  in  a  southerly 
direction,  the  fire  soon  reached  Nelson  Street,  and 
then  Robertson's  Place ;  then  extended  to  Robert- 
son's Wharf,  and  then  up  the  South  Wharf.  As  it 
gained  Nelson  Street  on  the  south,  it  there  met  the 
flames  coming  up  that  street ;  and  the  combination 
made  a  terrific  heat,  that  could  not  be  borne  by 
those  who  were  in  the  vicinit}^,  attempting  to  save 
property:   indeed,  so   rapidly  were   they  overtaken 


THE   GREAT  FIRE.  151 

that  it  was  with  difficulty  many  could  get  out  any 
tiling  besides  their  books. 

"  Allied  with  the  strong  wind  from  the  north-west, 
it  did  not  take  long  for  the  entire  wharf  to  be  in  a 
blaze. 

"  Half  a  dozen  wood-boats  were  at  the  head  of  the 
market  slip,  and  at  the  end  of  the  wliarves  about  the 
same  number  of  schooners.  Before  the  fire  had 
assumed  formidable  shape  on  the  North  Wharf,  tlie 
men  on  the  vessels  began  to  pour  pails  of  water  on 
the  decks.  The  water  was  low  just  then,  and  some- 
thing like  this  was  necessary  to  extinguish  the  sparks 
that  were  continually  showered  down  on  them.  One 
thing  in  their  favor  was,  that  the  tide  was  rising ; 
but  the  fire  proved  an  earlier  visitor,  and  those  at 
the  head  of  the  slip  were,  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
on  fire  in  so  many  places  that  it  was  impossible  for 
each  outbreak  to  receive  attention. 

"  Before  the  vessels  had  been  well  on  fire,  the  flames 
passed  above  their  masts,  forming  a  bridge  of  fire 
over  the  slip,  that  soon  afforded  a  stepping-stone  to 
the  shops  on  South  Wharf.  Not  one  of  these  west 
of  Ward  Street  was  capable  of  withstanding  the 
intense  heat  and  sparks,  all  being  of  wood.  They 
went  down  as  if  felled  by  a  hurricane,  the  schooners 
in  front  having  been  hauled  out  to  a  place  of  safety. 
Many  of  the  occupants  of  the  stores  were  off  help- 


152  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

ing  their  unfortunate  brother  merchants,  and  some 
arrived  just  in  time  to  save  their  books  ;  others  were 
just  enabled  to  witness  the  des*i  action  of  all  their 
stock. 

"  Some  of  the  embers  lodged  in  the  steeple  of 
Trinity  Church ;  and  with  nothing  to  save  it  —  for 
the  fire  was  so  high  as  to  be  almost  be^'ond  reauh  — 
the  fire  was  left  to  pursue  its  own  way.  As  the 
news  sj)iead  that  some  wooden  houses  in  Ilorsfield 
Street,  as  well  as  others  on  Duke  Street  (near  the 
Victoria  Hotel),  were  on  fire,  thousands  were  alarmed. 
The  cause  of  this  was  that  the  wind  had  carried  to 
the  rear  buildings  on  thetse  streets,  large  cinders 
which  kindled  a  flame  instantly. 

*'  Fear  gave  way  to  terror  as  it  was  learned  that 
this  fire  was  spreading  north,  south,  east,  and  west, 
—  to  Germain,  Charlotte,  Duke,  and  Ilorsfield  Streets. 
Not  an  engine  to  be  had,  and  every  thing  going  down 
before  the  unrelenting  fire.  A  building  on  Charlotte 
Street  had  hardly  become  a  prey  to  the  flames,  when 
others  on  either  side  followed  suit.  In  half  an  hour 
all  but  the  Germain-street  side  of  the  square  was 
in  ashes. 

"  The  Victoria  Hotel  and  St.  Andrew's  Church 
were  in  great  danger ;  and  the  hotel  guests,  as  well  as 
the  employees,  began  to  make  prepara,tions  for  seek- 
ing new  quarters.     But  where  they  were  to  go,  could 


THE  GREAT  FIRE.  153 

be  more  easily  asked  than  answered.  Should  the 
house  take  fire,  as  it  was  quite  evident  it  would, 
there  would  hardly  be  any  safety  on  that  street ;  and, 
as  the  destroying  element  w^as  pursuing  a  south-west 
course,  their  only  alternative  was  to  seek  refuge  in 
the  King's  Square.  Very  little  time  was  given 
them  to  collect  their  valuables ;  and,  in  the  majority 
of  cases,  they  had  to  leave  with  a  scanty  wardrobe. 
About  the  same  time  St.  Andrew's  Church  took  fire, 
and  it  did  not  stand  long. 

"Adjoining  the  church  Avas  the  two-story  brick 
building  occupied  as  a  tailor-shop  in  the  lower  stor}" ; 
and  Beacon,  Pioneer,  and  Siloam  Lodges  of  Odc^ 
Fellows,  as  wx'U  as  Millicete  Encampment  of  that 
order,  had  the  upper  flat.  Some  of  the  members 
managed  to  get  into  the  building,  and  save  most  of 
the  regalia  and  paraphernalia,  prior  to  that  building 
beinsr  destroved. 

"  The  buildings  at  the  southern  corner  of  Dock  and 
Union  Streets,  and  on  the  opposite  corner,  caught 
almost  simultaneously.  To  say  that  the  fire  raged 
fiercely  here,  would  but  too  faintly  describe  the 
terrible  manner  in  which  it  kept  on,  unheeding  the 
streams  of  w^ater  directed  upon  it.  The  engine  was 
obliged  to  shift  its  position  from  this  quarter,  the 
heat  beirg  most  terrific.  There  was  danger,  too,  of 
the  hose  being  burned,  and  of  all  things  the  preser- 


154  •  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

vation  of  that  was  most  essential.  The  engine  was 
taken  down  Dock  Street;  but  it  seemed  as  if  the  fire 
did  not  wish  to  part  company,  and  kept  up  a  rapid 
pursuit.  It  also  sped  along  the  western  part  of  Mill 
Street,  crossing  over  to  the  opposite  side,  and  darting 
with  lightning-like  rapidity  upon  Messrs.  Rankine 
&  Sons'  biscuit-manufactory,  then  following  onward 
towards  North  Street. 

"  From  the  South  AVharf  the  flames  entered  into 
Ward  Street,  and  extended  to  Peters's  Wharf  in  a 
remarkably  short  space  of  time,  carrying  every  thing 
before  them.  Then  they  proceeded  to  Water  Street, 
and  from  thence  soon  made  their  way  to  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  Market  Square,  making  a  jump  up  to 
Prince  William  Street.  At  this  stage  a  wooden 
house  on  Canterbury  Street  took  the  flames,  and 
the  Church-street  buildings  were  soon  imperilled. 
Then  the  flames  advanced  to  .Mnccss  and  Kins: 
Streets,  and  on  Germain  Street,  in  front  of  Trinity 
Church,  began  to  take  the  fire  very  rapidly. 

"  Tlie  Academy  of  Music,  a  splendid  building,  was 
also  destroyed.  The  two  stores  were  occupied,  and 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  had  a  hall  in  the  front  up 
stairs.  A  great  many  of  the  actors  who  have  been 
playing  under  Mr.  Nannary's  engagement  lost  por- 
tions of  their  wardrobe,  and  all  the  scenery  was 
burned.     When  the  fire   had  reached  the   Market 


THE  GREAT  FIRE.  155 

Square,  and  had  obtained  a  strong  hold  on  the  many- 
fine  buildings  thereon  situated,  several  explosions 
were  heard  coming  from  one  of  the  hardware-stores. 
They  caused  a  general  scattering  of  tLe  people 
about,  and  the  reports  reached  as  far  up  as  the  Court 
House. 

"The  fire  entered  King  Street  on  the  western 
side  (from  Germain  and  Canterbury  Streets) ;  ex- 
tended northerly  on  Charlotte  Street,  to  the  Saint 
John  Hotel,  burning  the  Trinity  School  in  its  course  ; 
went  up  the  south  side  of  King's  Square,  and  levelled 
to  the  ground  the  Lyceum,  destroying  the  marble- 
works  of  Mr.  S.  P.  Osgood  and  Messrs .  Milligan ; 
proceeded  to  Mr.  Robertson's  stable,  across  to  Saint 
Malachi's  Hall,  up  Leinster  Street,  and  then  back  to 
King  Street  east;  down  nearly  to  Pitt  Street  from 
there  ;  and  by  our  latest  advices  it  threatens  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  bank  on  Crown  Street,  but  will  not  pass 
to  the  northern  side  of  King  Street  east.  All  build- 
ings south  of  King  Street  have  been  burned,  the 
exceptions  being  rare. 

"  In  the  other  part  of  the  city  the  conflagration 
was  stopped  about  North  Street,  having  extended  as 
far  up  Union  Street  as  Messrs.  J.  &  T.  Robinson's. 
The  Bank  of  British  North  America  was  saved ;  the 
police  office  and  station  opposite  were  burned. 

"  At  an  early  part  of  the  day  the   electric   tele- 


156  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

graph  office  was  burnt  down,  and  its  valuable  bat- 
teries and  apparatus  destroyed.  The  office  is  now 
established  at  the  Intercolonial  Railway  Station. 
Some  of  its  wires  are  cut  off;  and  last  evening  the 
operators  were  mainly  employed  in  answering  mes- 
sages of  inquiry  as  to  the  safety  of  relatives  and 
friends,  or  transmitting  in  very  general  terms  the 
tragic  story  of  deaths  and  disasters. 

"  A  great  quantity  of  the  goods  saved  fell  into  the 
hands  of  thieves,  who  hung  around  like  vultures, 
eager  to  avail  themselves  of  any  opportunity  that 
afforded,  to  carry  off  what  they  could  ^ay  their  hands 
on.  Policeman  Ring  discovered  two  men  in  the  act 
of  dividing  a  lot  of  clothing  and  other  articles  which 
they  had  carried  from  a  house,  and  stopped  them 
in  short  order. 

"  The  Ballast  Wharf  is  covered  with  thousands  of 
people,  anxious  to  escape  by  water ;  so  is  the  rail- 
way track,  and  grounds  around  the  track  bet^^'een 
the  Ballast  Wharf  and  Courtenay  Bay. 

"  The  office  in  Carleton  was  used  last  night  for  the 
reception  and  transmission  of  mails.  The  evening 
mails  were  made  up  and  sent  off  from  there  on  time. 
This  arrangement  is  only  temporary,  and  the  post- 
master expects  to  have  a  city  office  provided  to-day. 

''  The  following  newspaper  offices,  with  their  plant 
and  stock,  were  completely  swept  away :  '  The  Free- 


THE  GREAT  FIRE.  157 

man,'  'The  Evening  Globe,'  '  The  Daily  Telegraph,' 
'  The  Daily  News,'  '  The  Watchman,'  '  The  Reli- 
gious Intelligencer.'  The  '  Globe,'  '  Telegraph,' 
'  News,'  '  Intelligencer,'  and  '  Watchman  '  had  job- 
offices  attached. 

"  Messrs.  Chubb  &  Co.  lost  their  large  job-office, 
book-bindery,  &c. ;  Messrs.  McMillan  lost  their  job- 
o^oe  \  wilding,  &c. ;  Mr.  Knodell  lost  his  job-office  ; 
Mr.  Roger  Hunter  lost  his  job-office. 

"  The  following  persons  are  reported  to  have  lost 
their  lives  in  the  fire :  Benjamin  Williams,  Germain 
Street ;  Harold  Gilbert,  near  Victoria  Hotel ;  Wil- 
liam McNeill,  of  James  Adams  &  Co.'s  establish- 
ment; Garret  Cotter,  of  Mr.  James  S.  May's  estab- 
lishment ;  Hugh  McGovern,  of  Straight  -^hore.  Two 
men  whose  names  are  unknown  are  reported  run 
over  and  killed.  The  body  of  an  unknown  man  was 
found  on  Prince  William  Street  at  four  o'clock  this 
morning. 

"  There  were  many  persons  hurt ;  accidents  were 
quite  common,  and  we  regret  to  say  in  particular 
among  the  brave  firemen. 

"  During  the  entire  day,  teams  of  every  description 
could  be  seen  loaded  with  household  effects ;  while 
others  less  fortunate  carried  their  little  all  in  their 
arms,  —  removing  the  goods  to  places  where  they 
flight   obtain    temporary  shelter,  for  a  permanent 


158  GREAT  FITtE  JN  SAINT  JOHN. 

abiding-place  was  an  impossibility.  A  few  unoccu- 
pied houses  in  Portland  were  quickly  taken ;  and 
those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  possess  vacant 
apartments  in  the  city  were  besieged  with  appli- 
cants for  the  rooms.  It  was  hard  in  all  cases  to 
refuse  the  urgent  appeals  from  the  unfortunate  peo- 
ple ;  and  there  were  frequent  coses  of  occupants 
of  houses  overcrowding  themselves  in  order  to  afford 
accommodations  to  the  distressed. 

"  It  was  IMr.  John  H.  Parks,  one  of  the  directors, 
who  had  the  presence  of  mind  and  the  energy  to 
rescue  three  ladies  from  the  Old  Ladies'  Home.  He 
got  a  carriage  in  due  time,  got  the  ladies  into  a  tug- 
boat, and  landed  them  safely  in  Carle  ton.  Their 
deliverance  from  death  was,  under  God,  due  to  him ; 
and  the  hearts  of  the  ladies  are  filled  with  joy  and 
gratitude. 

"  Mrs.  Trepagle  had  left  the  Home  to  assist  her  sis- 
ters, Mrs.  Reed,  and  another  lady  sister.  They  all 
perished  together.  Mrs.  Reed  was  the  mother  of 
the  ex-mayor,  Thomas  Reed,  Esq. 

*'  The  following  are  among  the  list  of  public  build- 
ings, &c.,  burnt :  — 

"  Post  OfiBce,  Bank  of  New  Brunswick,  City  Build- 
ing, Custom  House ;  Maritime  Bank  Building,  in 
which  aie  the  bank,  that  of  Montreal  and  Nova 
Scotia,  office  School  Trustees,  &c.;   Bank  of  Nova 


THE  GREAT  FIRE.  159 

Scotia  Building;  Academy  of  Music,  in  whic  v.  3 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  Hall ;  Victoria  Hot  j1  ;  Odd 
Fellows'  Hall;  No.  1  Engine  House;  Orange  Hall, 
King  Street;  Temperance  Hall,  King  Street,  east; 
Dramatic  Lyceum ;  Victoria  School  House ;  Temple 
of  Honor,  Wiggin's  Building;  Barnes  Hotel;  the 
Royal  Hotel ;  Saint  John  Hotel ;  Acadia  Hotel ;  the 
Brunswick  House ;  Bay  View  Hotel ;  International 
Hotel ;  Wiggin's  Orphan  Asylum. 

"  The  churches  burnt  are  Trinity  ;  Saint  Andrew's 
Church,  Germain  Street ;  Methodist,  Germain  Street ; 
Baptist  Church,  Germain  Street ;  Christian  Church, 
Duke  Street;  Saint  James  Church;  Leinster-street 
Baptist ;  the  Centenary ;  Carmarthen-street  Mission 
(Methodist)  ;  Saint  David's  Church ;  Reformed  Pres- 
byterian Church ;  Sheffield-street  Mission  House." 


CHAPTER   XL 

SCENES  ATTENDING  THE  CONFLAGRATION. 

Similarity  to  the  Fire  in  London. —  Tlie  Description  of  that  Calamity 
applied  to  this. — Scenes  of  Criifusion. — Acts  of  Heroism. — 
Effect  of  the  Fire  upon  Men's  Natural  Dispositions.  —  Thieves.  — 
Deaths  by  Fire.  —  Sheltering  a  Homeless  People.  —  All  Things 
Common. 

rr^HE  afternoon  and  evening  of  that  awful  day 
"*-  presented  scenes  of  confusion  such  as  few  cities 
have  seen  since  the  great  lire  in  London,  in  1666, 
whicli  this  disaster  so  much  resembled.  It  is  rather 
surprising  to  find  that  the  ^  mtory  burned  over  in 
Saint  John  was  one-half  as  large  as  that  covered  by 
the  great  conflagration  in  London,  and  that  propor- 
tionately the  fire  in  Saint  John  becomes  by  far  the 
greatest  desolation.  How  similar  were  the  scenes, 
and  how  much  unchanged  human  nature  is,  vriil  be 
instructively  apparent  when  we  compare  the  descrip- 
tions of  the  destruction  in  London,  with  the  annihi- 
lation in  Saint  John.  In  the  volume  published  in 
London  in  1722,  containing  an  account  of  the  Great 

160 


SCENES  ATTENDING   THE  CONFLAGRATION.       161 

Plague  in  London,  by  Daniel  Defoe,  an  account  of  the 
fire  is  added,  wherein  the  event  is  described  in  a 
manner  so  applicable  to  this,  that  it  will  have  a  double 
interest  here ;  and  we  insert  it  with  that  view. 

"  A  raging  east  wind  fomented  it  to  an  incredible 
degree,  and  in  a  moment  raised  the  fire  from  the 
bottom  to  the  tops  of  the  houses,  and  scattered  pro- 
digious flakes  in  all  places,  which  mounted  high  in 
the  air,  as  if  heaven  and  earth  were  threatened  with 
the  same  conflagration.  The  fury  soon  became  in- 
superable against  the  arts  of  men,  and  the  power  of 
engines  ;  and  beside  the  dismal  scenes  of  flames,  ruin, 
and  desolation,  there  appeared  the  most  killing  sight, 
in  the  distracted  looks  of  the  citizens,  the  wailings  of 
miserable  women,  the  cries  of  poor  children  and  de- 
crepit old  people,  with  all  the  marks  of  confusion  and 
despair.  No  man,  that  had  the  sense  of  human  mis- 
eries, could  unconcernedly  behold  the  dismal  ravage 
and  destruction. 

"  The  fire  got  the  mastery,  and  burnt  dreadfully  by 
the  force  of  the  wind ;  it  spread  quickly,  and  went 
on  with  such  force  and  rage,  overturning  all  so  furi- 
ously, that  the  whole  city  was  brought  into  jeopardy 
and  desolation.  There  was  a  tumultuous  hurrying 
about  the  streets  toward  the  places  that  burned,  and 
more  tumultuous  hurrying  upon  the  spirits  of  those 
that  sat  still,  and  had  only  the  notice  of  the  ear  of 


102  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

tlie  strange  and  quick  spreading  of  the  fire.  Now 
goods  were  moved  hastily  from  tlie  lower  parts  of  the 
city;  and  the  people  began  to  retire  and  draw  up- 
ward. Yet  some  hopes  were  retained  that  the  fire 
would  be  extinguished,  especially  by  those  who  lived 
in  remote  parts :  they  could  scarce  imagine  that  the 
fire  a  mile  distant  could  reach  their  houses.  All 
means  to  stop  it  proved  ineffectual ;  and  the  wind  was 
so  high  that  flakes  of  fire  and  burning  matter  were 
carried  across  several  streets.,  and  spread  the  confla- 
gration everywhere. 

"  But  the  evening  drew  on ;  and  now  the  fire  was 
more  visible  and  dreadful.  Instead  of  the  black  cur- 
tains of  the  night  that  used  to  spread  over  the  city, 
now  the  curtains  were  yellow ;  the  smoke  that  arose 
from  the  burning  part  seemed  like  so  much  flame  in 
the  night,  which  being  blown  npor.  Uie  other  parts  by 
the  wind,  the  whole  city,  at  some  distance,  seemed  to 
be  on  fire.  Now  hope  began  to  sink,  and  a  general 
consternation  seized  upon  the  spirits  of  the  people. 
Little  sleep  was  taken  in  London  during  that  night. 
Some  were  at  work  to  quench  the  fire,  others  en- 
deavored to  stop  its  course  by  pulling  down  houses ; 
bu*.  all  to  no  purpose.  If  it  were  a  little  allayed  or 
put  to  a  stand  in  some  places,  it  quickly  recruited  and 
recovered  its  force  ;  it  leaped  and  mounted,  and  made 
the  more  furious  onset,  drove  back  all  opposers.   Some 


SCENES  ATTENDING   THE  CONFLAGRATION.       163 

were  on  their  knees,  in  the  night,  pouring  out  tears 
before  the  Lord,  interceding  for  poor  London  in  the 
day  of  its  calamity  ;  yet  none  could  prevail  to  reverse 
the  doom  which  had  gone  forth  against  the  city.  The 
fire  had  received  its  commission,  and  all  attempts  to 
hinder  it  were  in  vain.  .  .  . 

"  Then,  then,  the  city  did  shake,  indeed !  and  the 
inhabitants  did  tremble.  They  flew  away  in  great 
amazement  from  their  houses,  lest  the  flames  should 
devour  them.  Rattle  !  rattle  !  rattle !  was  the  noise 
which  the  fire  struck  upon  the  ear  round  about,  as  if 
there  had  been  a  thousand  iron  chariots  beating  upon 
the  stones ;  and,  if  you  turned  your  eyes  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  streets  where  the  fire  was  come,  you  might 
see  in  some  places  whole  streets  at  once  in  flames, 
that  issued  forth  as  if  they  had  so  many  forges  from 
the  opposite  windows,  and  which,  folding  together, 
united  in  one  great  volume  throughout  the  whole 
street;  and  then  you  might  see  the  houses  tumble, 
tumble,  tumble,  from  one  end  of  the  street  to 
•another,  with  a  great  crash,  leaving  the  foundations 
open  to  the  view  of  the  heavens. 

"  Fearfulness  and  terror  surprised  all  the  citizens 
of  London  ;  men  were  in  a  miserable  hurry.  Full  of 
distraction  and  confusion,  they  h£,d  not  the  command 
of  their  own  thoughts  to  reflect  and  inquire  what 
was  fit  and  proper  to  be    cjne.     It  would    have 


164  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

grieved  the  heart  of  an  unconcerned  person  to  have 
seen  the  rueful  looks,  the  pale  cheeks,  tears  trickling 
down  from  the  eyes  (when  the  greatness  of  sorrow 
and  amazement  could  give  leave  for  such  a  vent), 
the  smiting  of  the  breast,  the  wringing  of  hands; 
to  hear  the  sighs  and  groans,  the  doleful  and  weep- 
ing speeches  of  the  distressed  citizens,  when  they 
were  bringing  forth  their  wives  (some  from  their 
child-bed)  and  their  little  ones  (some  from  their  sick- 
beds) out  of  their  houses,  and  sending  them  into 
the  fields  with  their  goods.  .  ,  .  The  streets  were 
crowded  with  people  and  carts  to  carry  what  goods 
they  could  get  out.  They  who  were  most  active, 
and  had  most  money  to  pay  carriage  at  exorbitant 
prices,  saved  much :  the  rest  lost  all.  Carts,  drays, 
coaches,  and  horses,  as  many  as  could  have  entrance 
into  the  city,  were  laden ;  and  any  money  was 
given  for  help, — five,  ten,  twenty,  thirty  pounds, 
for  a  cart  to  bear  forth  to  the  fields  some  choice 
things  which  were  ready  to  be  consumed;  and  some 
of  the  countrymen  had  the  conscience  to  accept  the 
prices  which  the  citizens  offered  in  their  extremity. 
Casks  of  wine  and  oil  and  other  commodities  were 
tumbled  along ;  and  tlie  owners  shoved  as  much  as 
they  could  toward  the  gates.  Every  one  became  a 
porter  to  himself;  and  scarcely  a  back,  either  of  man 
or  woman,  but  had  a  burden  on  it  in  the  streets.    It 


SCENES  ATTENDING  THE  CONFLAGRATION.       165 

was  very  melancholy  to  see  such  throngs  of  poor  citi- 
zens coming  in  and  going  forth  from  the  unburnt 
parts,  heavily  laden  with  portions  of  their  goods,  but 
more  heavy  with  grief  and  sorrow  of  heart,  so  that 
it  is  wonderful  they  did  not  quite  sink  down  under 
their  burdens." 

How  surprisingly  accurate  is  that  description  when 
applied  to  the  great  fire  in  Saint  John,  will  be  seen 
by  reading  the  following  exjj-act  from  the  Saint  John 
"  Globe  "  of  July  12,  which  contained  an  excellent 
account  of  the  whole  destruction :  — 

"  The  scene  as  viewed  from  the  heights  of  Carleton, 
where  the  situation  could  be  taken  in  at  one  view, 
was  magnificent  and  saddening.  Before  the  specta- 
tor was  a  vast  sea  of  flame,  through  which  the  ruined 
and  broken  walls  and  windowless  gables  gaped  star- 
ing and  pitiful ;  while  here  and  there  stood  out  some 
noble  edifice  Hke  the  Wiggin's  Orphan  Asylum,  silent, 
massive,  but  succumbing  at  last  to  the  fiery  furnace 
that  raged  around  it.  The  clouds  of  smoke  filled  the 
whole  heavens,  and  blackened  the  sky  with  their 
horrid  forms.  Even  amid  these  harrowing  sights  and 
sounds  prevailing,  one  scene  of  beauty  stood  out 
grandly  magnificent.  That  old  landmark  of  by- 
gone years,  the  Bell-Tower,  —  the  subject  of  news- 
paper lidioule  and  individua  satire,  —  became  envel- 
Dped  in  flame.     When  denuded  of  its  outer  covering, 


166  GREAT  FTRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

the  timbers  showed  a  ])urniiig  beauty  beyond  descrip- 
tion. It  liad  been  built  solidly,  and  ofTcred  lon^ 
resistanee  to  its  overpowerirj^^  foe,  —  the  foe  of  wliom 
it  had  Hcjunded  so  many  an  alarm  of  eoniin^  danger, 
—  but  now  struggled  helplessly  and  unaided  in  its 
embraee  ;  and,  when  eorn(!r-j)ost  and  eross-tie  and 
studding  burned  with  a  clear  white  brilliancy,  it  ap- 
peared as  if  in  wrapped  in  a  vast  illumination.  If  in 
life  it  was  plain,  in  death  it  showed  forth  beautiful. 
In  the  front  lay  the  harbor  slumbering  peacefully 
(f(jr  as  the  night  wore  away  the  wind  dicjd  out),  ])ut 
lighted  up  with  the  red  glare  of  the  l)urriing  city ; 
■whilst  every  mast  and  spar,  sliroud  and  line,  of  the 
tall  ships  stood  doubly  distinct  from  the  r(;d  glare 
behind.  How  powerhiss  indeed  seemed  man  in  a 
cont<^st  with  one  of  the  great  ehiments  of  natures ! 
how  vain  his  works,  how  d(ifenc(il(;ss  his  condition  ! 

"  It  requinid,  however,  personal  contact  with  the 
burning  districts  to  realize  the  awful  horrors  of  the 
scene.  When  the  liouses  around  Queen  Srpiare  were 
on  fire,  and  the  goods  placed  on  the  square  were 
ablaze,  a  perfect  sea  of  fire  rolled  around  the  spec- 
tator, escape  from  which  appeared  to  be  impossible. 
In  the  vicinity  of  the  gas-house  and  around  its  high 
fences,  bedding,  furniture,  and  household  effects  were 
piled  up  in  immense  masses ;  while  grief-stricken 
groups   silently  stood  around,  or,  yielding  to  their 


SCJCNES  ATTENDING   THE  CONFLAGRATION.       1C7 

emotions,  scrca.ncd  in  terror  at  the  circumstances  in 
wliicl)  tli('3'  were  placed.  Dcatli  is  sai<l  to  Ixi  tlie 
y^YVAii  leveller,  but  for  the  mornfjnt  lire  took  its  place; 
and  rich  ami  poor  were  placed  in  the  same  circum- 
stances, W(;re  suhjct^f.  to  the  same  privations,  and  in- 
volved in  the  same  ruin.  Peophj  i\vA  by,  bravely 
Btrugjflin^  to  sav(;  some  trunk  or  bundle  wliich  the 
j)ursuin;:^  heat  cbnipcUed  th(;m  to  drop,  or  which 
some  livin;^  sj)ark  soon  s(;t  fire  in  their  hands.  Souhj, 
(k^spiiirin^  of  saving  any  tliinj^,  came  out  of  their 
houses,  and  1  j(;k(Ml  the  doors,  and  hift  all  thiiir  goods 
to  th(;  fate  wnich  soon  overtook  them. 

"  Men  and  women,  ovcrccjme  by  fatigue  and  suffer- 
ing from  hunger  and  thirst,  turned  into  alhij's  and 
by-ways,  and  slept  until  some  friendly  liand  aroused 
them  iVom  the  danger  into  which  they  were  finding. 
In  the  throes  (jf  that  awful  agony  whicli  only  woman 
feels,  on  tlie  j)ubii(;  street,  a  woman  gave  birth  to  a 
child  ;  and  i\nt  v/all  (jf  lire  fcjlhnved  up  all,  driving  the 
unfortunate  sulfcrers  from  street  to  street,  until  they 
t'H,k  nd'uge  on  the  very  edge  of  tlie  sea,  such  as  could 
get  into  lioats  or  scows  or  sUjamboats  Ijcing  taken  to 
a  j)iace  of  safety.  It  was  a  night  of  anxiety,  of  terror, 
of  JKjrrors  :  yet  the  morning  sun  I'ose  upon  a  scene  of 
great  beauty.  .  .  .  The  scene  on  the  second  morning 
after  the  lire,  as  the  sun  came  up  from  the  east,  was 
one  of  extreme  misery.     The  tail  chimneys  looming 


168  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

up  in  the  gray  of  the  morning  were  slowly  gilded 
by  the  long  level  rays  thrown  parallel  to  the  plane 
of  the  horizon ;  and  this  added  to  their  grim  wretch- 
edness, making  them  a  mockery  of  brightness  when 
contrasted  with  the  wreck  of  which  they  were  so 
conspicuous  a  part.  Scarcely  a  soul  was  seen  on  the 
desolate  streets ;  but  here  and  there  amid  the  ruins 
was  some  solitary  figure  digging  amid  the  still  heated 
debris  of  a  dwelling,  in  search  perhaps  of  some  long- 
cherished  treasure  now,  alas  I  gone  forever." 

From  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  old 
Bell-Tower  trembled  with  the  shock  of  the  alarm, 
until  the  early  dawn  of  the  next  day,  there  was  a 
confused  hurrying  to  and  fro,  and  a  continuous  rattle 
of  carts  and  wagons  hastening  to  the  windward  of  the 
fire  with  the  precious  relics  of  two  thousand  homes. 
Many  a  load  of  valuables  was  moved  from  Dock 
Street  and  from  its  vicinity  to  Princess  Street,  then 
again  taken  away  to  Sydney  Street,  and  at  last  burned 
after  another  remove  to  Main  Street.  Men  stowed 
away  all  the  property  they  possessed  in  the  house  of 
some  friend  far  removed  from  the  conflagration,  and 
confidently  went  to  the  work  of  helping  their  neigh- 
bors do  the  same  thing ;  when,  lo  !  the  next  hour,  when 
they  sought  the  place  on  some  errand,  they  saw  only 
flames,  ruins,  ^oals,  ashes. 

One  gentleman  had  been  at  work  saving  his  goods, 


SCENES  ATTENDING  THE  CONFLAGRATION.       1G9 

and  in  his  haste  had  torn  his  clothing ;  so,  when  the 
goods  were  safely  deposited  in  the  stable  attached 
to  a  friend's  dwelling,  he  thought  he  would  go  around 
to  his  house,  and  get  another  coat.  Imagine  his  sur- 
prise when  he  found  his  way  blocked  while  several 
streets  away  from  his  house,  and  when  he  was  told 
by  an  acquaintance  that  his  house  had  been  burned 
more  than  an  hour,  and  his  family  could  probablj'  be 
found  in  the  old  burying-ground,  or  in  the  fields  the 
other  side  of  the  bay. 

Others  carried  away  from  their  dwellings  large 
bundles  of  goods  upon  their  backs,  and  reached  a 
place  of  safety,  only  to  find  that  they  had  been  car- 
rying a  bonfire  which  had  half  consumed  their  cargo. 

There  were  almost  innumerable  instances  of  hero- 
ism and  self-sacrifice,  —  too  many  by  far  to  be  indi- 
Yidually  recorded ;  and  any  attempt  to  make  their 
names  historical  would  be  i^successful  only  in  belittling 
the  whole  matter,  inasmuch  as  the  number  known 
to  any  one  writer  would  be  very  insignificant  when 
compared  with  the  whole.  Little  boys,  in  absence 
of  father  or  employer,  performed  surprising  feats  in 
saving  the  families,  the  stock  in  trade,  or  the  books 
of  account.  Small  girls  led  their  blind  parents,  with 
thorough  presence  of  mind,  tiirough  the  hurricanes 
and  showers  of  fire,  shielding  their  charge  by  meth- 
ods mature  men  might  have  overlooked.     There  were 


170  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

wives  whose  husbands,  and  daughters  whose  fathers, 
were  sick  in  bed,  or  crippled,  but  who,  with  a  show 
of  strength  born  of  desperation,  took  the  invalids 
bodily  in  their  arms,  and  hastened  with  them  to  a 
place  of  safety.  There  were  firemen,  who,  in  their 
zeal  to  save  human  lives  and  their  neighbors'  property, 
clambered  upon  the  dizzy  edges  of  roofs  and  towers, 
and  held  their  position  until  they  seemed  to  be  stand- 
ing in  a  lake  of  flame.  No  fault  was  ever  found  with 
the  heroic  men  of  the  Fire  Department  who  battled 
with  that  calamity.  Although  their  efficient  chief, 
who  for  so  many  years  had  directed  their  movements, 
was  absent  from  the  city,  yet  so  thorough  was  their 
discipline,  and  so  earnest  was  their  desire  to  be  of 
service,  that  all  their  work  was  done  with  most  com- 
mendable promptness  and  precision.  But  what  could 
four  steam  fire-engines  do  against  the  whirlwinds  of 
flame  which  found  such  combustible  material  on 
which  to  feed?  Certain  it  is,' however  that  had  not 
the  firemen  fought  so  bravely,  and  had  not  the  engines 
worked  so  successfully,  there  would  not  have  been  a 
place  of  refuge  left  in  Saint  John  or  the  adjacent 
city  of  Portland. 

How  such  a  dire  calamity  develops  and  strengthens 
the  tendencies  of  human  nature  !  Like  the  camps 
and  sieges  of  war,  the  excitement  and  the  abrogation 
of  civil  law  in  buch  a  time  call  out  the  best  or  the 


SCEXLS  ATTENDING   THE  CONFLAGRATION.       171 

wor^.t  features  of  human  character.  During  the  prog- 
ress of  that  disaster  there  were  exliibitions  of  affect- 
ing self-sacrifice,  of  martyr-like  bravery,  by  men  who 
had  been  estimated  by  the  community  as  selfisli,  mo- 
rose, and  unkind.  Enemies,  whose  social  contests  had 
been  long  and  bitter,  when  touched  by  the  fire  vied 
with  each  other  in  doing  lor  one  another  deeds  of  the 
noblest  kindness  ;  and  they  will  never  quarrel  again. 
Women  who  hated  each  other,  and  were  for  years 
estranged  by  the  tongues  of  foolish  gossip,  sat  to- 
gether by  the  tombs  that  night,  and  in  mutual  woe 
became  mutual  friends.  Men  left  their  property 
they  might  have  saved,  and  hastened  to  the  assist- 
ance of  the  aged  and  the  infirm ;  and  in  countless 
ways  did  the  people  perform  for  each  other  acts  of 
charity  and  friendship. 

In  the  other  direction  the  development  was  not  so 
marked  ;  but  there  were  men  who  stole  that  night 
who  had  never  been  known  to  steal  before.  They 
may  have  cheated  children,  and  may  have  taken 
little  advantages  of  innocent  friends  in  oVder  to  get 
a  penny  more  than  they  had  honestly  earned  ;  but 
the  devils  that  chafed  within  had  been  kept  hid  from 
the  public  gaze  until  this  resistless  opportunity  came. 
Thieves  there  were  in  almost  every  street;  and  many 
valuable  bales  and  packages  wrongfully  found  tlieii 
way  into    by-nooks,   caves  of  the   mountains,  and 


172  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

obscure  dwellings,  wliich  afterwards  were  discovered 
and  returned  by  the  officers  of  the  law.  In  that 
dark  interval,  when  the  statutes  of  the  land  were 
held  in  abeyance,  and  the  few  policemen  could  not 
enforce  the  simplest  ordinance,  the  good  men  became 
better,  and  the  bad  men  worse  ;  seemingly  reversing 
the  statement  of  Shakespeare,  that 

"  One  touch  of  nature  makes  the  whole  world  kin." 

For  here  the  touch  of  the  law  had  kept  them  kin, 
and  it  was  the  touch  of  natural  freedom  that  made 
them  enemies.  But  the  disposition  to  rob  and  steal 
was  not  so  prevalent  or  so  malicious  as  that  which 
WdA  developed  in  many  large  fires  in  other  conti- 
nental cities.  There  were  several  attempts  by  incen- 
diaries to  kindle  the  houses  which  remained  ;  but  they 
were  not  so  persistent  as  they  were  in  Chicago  and 
Quebec. 

One  old  lady,  so  aged  and  infirm  that  she  had 
long  been  assisted  and  cared  for  by  the  kindness 
of  friends,  was  not  willing  to  be  saved  alone.  Iler 
sister,  who  had  been  her  companion  for  threescore 
years,  was  in  danger ;  and  she  felt  that  she  must  go 
and  warn  her.  The  sister  lived  near  by,  and  the  old 
lady  started  briskly  to  her  aid.  She  would  not  leave 
her  infirm  relative  to  die  alone.  Beyond  this  nothing 
is  known  of  them.     One  old  lady  who  resided  in  the 


SCENES  ATTENDING  THE  CONFLAGRATION.       173 

same  place  wandered  away,  and  was  burned  in  the 
stree',  as  already  related  in  tracing  the  steps  of 
David  Tournay.  But  how  these  two  aged  sisters 
clung  together,  or  how  they  called  for  help,  and 
prayed  for  deliverance,  men  will  never  know ;  for  the 
fiendish  flames  came  and  howled  and  danced,  the 
whirlwinds  growled,  the  smoke  darkened  the  win- 
dows, and  the  great  tide  of  fire  rolled  on  and  in- 
gulfed them.  Like  Saul  and  Jonathan,  they  "  were 
lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives,  and  in  their  death 
they  were  not  divided." 

Others  there  were  to  whom  death  came  that  night ; 
but  how,  or  just  the  hour,  or  where,  their  weeping 
friends  cannot  tell.  Of  the  score  or  more  who  were 
victims  in  the  calamity,  and  Avhose  names  are  known, 
there  are  but  a  few  whose  death  was  seen,  and  its 
full  details  known. 

There  was  an  uncertainty  connected  with  the 
movements  of  almost  every  person;  and  no  one 
could  safely  calculate  upon  meeting  their  friends 
even  at  an  appointed  place.  The  frightened  ref- 
ugees sought  the  first  shelter  which  was  offered  them, 
some  going  to  the  homes  of  friends,  some  going  into 
the  fields,  some  on  board  of  the  vessels,  and  some 
fleeing  far  into  the  country.  The  people  whose 
houses  were  untouched  —  and  how  few  they  were  I 
—  opened  their  doors   to  all  who  came,  until  bed- 


174  GREAT  FIRE   IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

chambers,  halls,  drawing-rooms,  kitchens,  and  cellars 
were  crowded  with  people  and  the'"  hastily  depos- 
ited property.  They  had  ever  been  known  as  an 
hospitable  people  ;  but  here  was  an  extra  call  upon 
their  sympathy  and  regard,  which  made  the  few 
who  escaped  with  their  property  doubly  generous, 
although  there  appears  no  long  roll  of  contributors 
to  the  relief  fund  by  the  people  of  Saint  John  and 
the  towns  which  environ  it.  Yet  no  one  in  all  the 
swollen  list  of  givers  from  abroad  made  more  genc^'- 
ous  donations  than  did  the  people  of  the  stricken 
community :  they  literally  divided  with  each  other. 
Every  place  where  a  bed  could  be  placed  was  occu- 
pied ;  and  again  and  again  were  the  relays  of  vis- 
itors invited  to  the  family  tables.  Mistresses  became 
kitchen-maids,  servants  became  hosts ;  and  for  a 
while  the  homes  that  were  left  were  honest  exam- 
ples of  a  community  of  brethren  of  the  apostolic 
order,  wherein  all  things  were  common.  Yet  there 
were  many  who  could  not  even  then  find  shelter,  so 
scarce  were  the  accommodations  when  every  door 
was  opened. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

AFTER  THE  FIRE. 

Tlie  Ruins.  —  Obliteration  of  Streets.  —  Appearance  of  the  Sqtiarea 

—  Exodus  of  the  People.  —  Establishment  of  Business  Quarters. 

—  Absence  of  Food.  —  Danger  of  Starvation. 

npHE  return  of  the  sun  on  the  morning  which  suc- 
-*-  ceeded  the  fire  was  a  dismal  one  indeed  to  the 
houseless  people,  although  to  the  rest  of  the  world 
it  was  as  bright  and  fair  as  usual.  The  site  of  the 
city  was  covered  with  ruins  of  all  heights  and 
shapes ;  some  standing  as  firm  as  the  rock  on  which 
they  were  founded,  while  some  toppled  and  wavered, 
ready  to  come  crashing  to  the  ground  on  the  slightest 
occasion.  Great  heaps  of  living  cocls  showed  where 
piles  of  lumber  or  high  buildings  had  been;  and 
from  myriads  of  indescribable  mounds  and  crags  of 
iron,  brick,  stone,  and  mortar,  little  puffs  of  smoke 
curled  upward  about  tall  chimneys,  and  united  in  the 
great  cloud  which  hung  overhead.  The  oldest  inhab- 
itant could  not  for  a  time  locate  the  streets,  so 
thickly  covered  with  rubbish  and  ashes  was   the 

176 


176  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

whole  area  of  two  hundred  acres.  At  the  wharves 
only  the  burnt  stumps  of  piles  remained,  to  show 
the  line  where  vessels  had  so  often  deposited  their 
cargoes.  At  the  custom-house  and  post-ojGQce,  only 
an  imposing  front  of  stone  remained,  with  window- 
apertures,  marred  and  cracked  with  the  heat. 

The  sites  of  great  warehouses,  old  churches,  and 
costly  residences,  were  lost  in  the  general  ruin  ;  and, 
for  a  long  time  after  the  heat  had  so  far  subsided  as 
to  permit  passage,  it  was  difficult  to  find  the  corners 
of  streets,  or  tell  without  measurement  just  where 
any  certain  house  had  stood.  Such  buildings  as  the 
Victoria  Hotel,  Orphan  Asylum,  and  schoolhouses  — 
grand  even  in  ruin — were  soon  recognized  ;  and,  with 
them  as  landmarks,  the  bewildered  citizens  groped  to 
the  hearthstones  they  had  so  hopefully  left  for  the 
store  or  the  shop  on  the  previous  day. 

Ruin,  ruin,  everywhere !  All  that  was  valuable 
was  gone.  As  if  in  derision,  the  fire  had  left  lucifer 
matches  unburned  in  smoking  heaps  of  ashes;  and 
huge  supplies  of  coal  in  cargoes  of  hundreds  of  tons 
were  untouched,  while  the  hotel  or  church  they  were 
purchased  to  warm  was  beyond  the  need  of  any  more 
heat.  The  whole  peninsula  was  left  in  all  its  nat- 
ural deformity,  save  where  the  rocks  had  been  hewn 
and  blasted  to  make  passable  streets.  A  city  must 
be  founded  anew  upon  these  barren  ledges. 


AFTER  THE  FIRE.  17? 

It  was  a  sad  sight.  Even  the  stranger  shed  a 
silent  tear  as  he  wandered  over  unrecognizable 
masses  of  debris,  and  realized  in  a  vague  manner  how 
the  owners  of  those  remains  must  feel.  It  was  like 
looking  upon  the  face  of  an  unknown  corpse.  There 
was  the  evidence  of  past  life,  the  certainty  of  there 
having  been  a  death-struggle,  and  the  probability 
that  the  dead  had  loving  friends  somewhere,  who 
were  weeping  for  him,  and  would  not  be  comforted. 

Like  veterans  which  singly  have  escaped  the  terrific 
conflicts  of  battle,  the  Hazen  House,  the  court-house 
and  jail,  and  the  engine-house  stood,  scarred,  be- 
grimed, and  alcne ;  living  reminders  of  the  rage  and 
destruction  which  had  passed  by  them,  leaving  all  but 
them  prostrate  and  ghastly  in  unsightly  distortion. 

The  collectio-i  of  furniture,  merchandise,  crockery, 
glass-ware,  carpets,  trunks,  and  clothing,  which  had 
been  hastily  deposited  in  King's  Square  and  the  old 
burying-ground,  began  to  move  away,  as  destinations 
were  secured  for  them  by  the  owners.  Lawyers  se- 
cured apartments  in  retail  stores ;  physicians  opened 
offices  in  rear  kitchens  ;  while  merchants  accepted  the 
first  stable,  loft,  shed,  dwelling,  or  shop  that  they 
could  secure,  and  whatever  was  saved  of  the  stocks 
in  trade  was  advertised  for  sale  from  the  strangest  of 
corners,  and  the  most  obscure  of  streets  and  alleys. 
People  set  up  housekeeping  iu  rooms  scarce  large 


17^  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN, 

enoucrli  for  a  be  .1 ;  and  all  kinds  of  trades  were  car- 
ried  on  in  back  3^ards  and  house-cellars.  Every  thing 
which  could  be  called  a  shelter,  and  hired  for  money, 
was  at  once  taken;  and  rents  went  up  to  fabulous 
rr ' es. 

Many  of  th:.  houseless  people  who  could  not  find 
shelter  in  the  cit^'  sought  quarters  in  the  country ; 
and  every  avuilable  conveyance  was  brought  into  re- 
quisition to  convey  them  to  the  farmhouses  where 
they  had  secured  accommodations.  Yet  this  exodus 
left  many  in  the  city  unprovided  for,  who  blocked  the 
•halls  and  chambers  of  public  and  private  business, 
and  who  were  only  given  shelter  at  last,  by  means  of 
tents  and  shanties  hastily  pitched  on  the  squares  and 
vacant  lots. 

There  were  thousands  of  people  in  the  city,  or 
rather  on  the  ruins  of  the  city,  that  morning,  who  had 
lost  every  thing,  and  had  no  reason  for  telling  where 
their  dinner  was  to  come  from.  It  was  an  appalling 
spectacle,  for  to  the  horrors  of  the  fire  were  now 
added  the  apprehensions  of  starvation.  There  was 
not  food  enough  in  the  city,  left  by  the  fire,  to  keep 
the  people  three  da3"s ;  and  of  course  that  was  in  the 
hands  of  a  few.  The  many  saw  before  them  severe 
and  immediate  suffering. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

EXTENT   OF  THE  CALAMITY. 

Estimated  Loss.  —Great  Extent  of  the  Destruction  in  Proportion  to 
the  Size  of  tlie  City.  —  Names  of  the  Owners  of  Buildings.  — 
Names  of  Occupants.  —  Business  Firms  burned  out.  — Roster  of 
Loseis  by  Streets.  —The  Ef:;.ct  on  the  Working  Classes.  —  Sum- 
mary of  the  Property  destroyed. 

A  LTHOUGH  the  city  of  Saint  John  covered  so 
-^'^>-  large  an  area,  yet,  as  we  have  already  stated, 
it  was  not  such  a  wealthy  city  as  Chicago,  Boston, 
or  Montreal ;  and  hence  the  destruction,  when  stated 
in  money,  does  not  reach  so  large  a  sum  as  that 
which  would  have  been  lost  in  the  burning  of  so 
large  a  territory  in  eitiier  of  them.  The  loss  of 
property  in  Saint  John  would  not  probably  exceed 
thirteen  millions  of  dollars,  although  some  of  the 
citizens  place  the  estimate  much  higher.  About  five 
millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  property  was  insured  in 
sound  companies.  That  insured  in  local  mutual 
insurance  companies  was  nearly  all  a  useless  invest- 
ment, on  account  of  the  universal  loss.     The  names 

179 


180  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

of  the  companies  having  losses  in  Saint  John,  and 
other  information  concerning  it,  will  be  found  in  a 
subsequent  chapter. 

We  give  below  the  list  of  owners  of  the  buildings 
destroyed,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  the  occupants  of 
them  at  the  time  of  the  fire,  according  to  the  roster 
prepared  by  the  Saint  John  "  Daily  News  "  of  July 
9,1877:  — 

On  North  Market  Slip.-^Heiis  Donald  McLauch- 
lin :  by  Daniel  McLauchlin,  boiler-maker.  George 
Sidney  Smith:  by  H.  II.  Fairweather,  store-room 
(this  is  where  the  fire  made  its  first  appearance). 
Heirs  Robert  L.  Ilazen :  by  R.  P.  and  W.  F.  Starr, 
coal-sheds.  George  W.  Gerow:  by  W.  A.  Spence, 
hay  and  feed  (this  building  was  set  on  fiie  after  the 
great  conflagration). 

On  Worth  Street.  —  James  Lawton  :  by  J.  F.  Law- 
ton,  saws ;  Edward  J.  Wetmore,  flock  manufacturer. 
Property  belonging  to  James  Tyzick.  William 
Kievenear :  by  self.  William  Kievenear :  by  Michael 
Mclntyre.  James  Costigan :  by  self.  John  Howe : 
by  Joseph  Gannalo.     John  Howe :  by  Robert  Hays. 

On  Smyth  Street.  —  George  Moore :  by  self.  Heirs 
P.  McManus :  by  Margaret  McManus.  P.  McCourt : 
by  Mrs.  Mary  Horton.  Patrick  IMcDevitt :  by  self. 
Thomas  Sheenan :  by  self.  Peter  Bone :  by  self. 
E.   McLeod   (assignee    J.   C.    Brown) :    by  James 


• 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  181 

Domville  ;  J.  C.  Brown,  commission-merchant.  Heirs 
Charles  Brown :  by  R.  P.  and  W.  F.  Starr,  merchan- 
dise. jMargaret  S.  Robertson :  by  A.  T.  Clark,  com- 
mission-merchant ;  W.  N.  E.  Webb,  cordage.  Mar- 
garet S.  Robertson  :  by  George  Snider,  commission- 
merchant.  Margaret  S.  Robertson :  by  L.  McMann 
&  Sons,  importers.  ^largaret  S.  Robertson :  by  D. 
D.  Robertson.  M.  S.  Robertson:  by  R.  P.  Mc- 
Givern,  coal-shed.  jMargaret  S.  Robertson :  by  J.  L. 
Dunn  &  Co.,  iron. 

On  Drury  Lane.  —  Ann  Leonard :  by  Johanna 
O'Regan.  Heirs  John  Hinsborough :  by  Patrick 
IMcLaughlin.  John  Allen :  by  Thomas  McAimulty. 
William  County:  by  self.  Thomas  Morrow:  by 
Mrs.  Daniel  O'NeaL  John  Donovan :  by  self.  Heirs 
H.  Graham :  by  Mary  Graham.  Heirs  Thomas  Da- 
ley :  by  Mary  Daley.  Heirs  H.  Graham :  by  John 
Cronin.  Heirs  Helen  O'Leary:  by  P.  O'Leary. 
Thomas  Hounhan:  by  self.  Edward  MuUin:  by 
Denis  Purtle.  John  Holland :  by  self.  Catherine 
Healy:  by  self.  Margaret  McCarron's  property. 
Edward  Mullin  :  by  self.  Heirs  John  Bryden  :  by 
Catherine  Bryden ;  Bryden  Brothers  &  Co.,  biscuit>' 
makers. 

On  Mill  Street.  —  Mrs.  Ann  Carleton  and  heirs 
Thomas  Quantance:  by  M.  McCallum.,  liquors. 
William  Finn:  by  John  McDougall,  cabinetz-maker. 


182  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Kobert  Grace :  by  Joseph  Isaac,  tobaccoso  John 
Lloyd :  by  Mrs.  C  Carty.  John  Lloyd :  by  W.  H. 
Gibbons,  coals.  Robert  Grace :  by  self.  Heirs 
John  Frost :  by  Charles  O'Hara,  hair-dressing  saloon. 
Heirs  E.  Lawrence  :  by  Thomas  Chapman.  Thomas 
A.  Rankine :  by  Thomas  Rankine  &  Sons,  cake 
manufactory.  Thomas  A.  and  Alexander  Rankine : 
by  Donald  McDougall ;  M.  V.  Paddock,  drugs.  John 
Bellony  and  heir  John  Cotter:  by  Anthony  Cain, 
groceries  and  liquors ;  Stephen  Power,  groceries  and 
liquors.  Thomas  A.  Peters :  by  L.  iMcGill,  shoe 
store.  Thomas  A.  Peters :  by  John  Haggerty.  Ann 
Leonard :  by  James  O'Brien.  A,  G.  Kearns :  by 
Thomas  Marsfield.  John  Allen :  by  self.  J.  S. 
Brittain :  by  self.  James  Morrow :  by  self.  John 
Ryan :  by  self.     Edward  Hayes :  by  self. 

On  Georges  Street.  —  Heirs  Peter  Sinclair :  by 
Mrs.  E.  Sinclair.  Thomas  A.  and  Alexander  Ran- 
kine (new  three-story  brick  building  belonging  to 
factory).  Michael  Burk:  by  self.  S.R.Foster:  by 
self,  nail-factory.  Michael  Duneen :  by  self.  Mar- 
garet Sullivan :  by  self. 

On  Harems  Wharf.  —  Coal-sheds  owned  by  Mar- 
garet Hare,  leased  by  James  Domville  «&  Co.,  and 
sub-let  to  Lloyd  and  others. 

On  Robertson  Place.  —  Mary  Allan  Almon:  by 
John  W.  Nicholson,  commission-merchant.  D.  D. 
Robertson  occupied  offices  and  warehouse. 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  183 

On  Fire-Proof  Alley,  —  H'^irs  of  Benjamin  Smith  : 
by  J.  S.  Johnston  &  Co.  William  Caivill :  by  George 
Carvill,  iron-merchant. 

On  North  Market  Wharf.  —  Eliza  Robertson :  by 
Frederick  Godard,  provisions ;  John  M.  Taylor,  flour, 
&c. ;  Hatfield  &  Gregory,  provisions ;  J.  &  W.  F. 
Harrison,  flour,  &c.  George  F.  Smith:  by  self. 
John  Kirk:  by  John  Littlejohn,  liquors.  Heirs  of 
McLaughlin  estate :  by  D.  J.  McLaughlin.  J.  V. 
Thurgar  :  by  Thurgar  &  Russel,  liquors.  Conrad  J. 
Henrick:  by  White  &  Titus,  provisions.  Hannah 
A.  Bates  :  by  James  Domville  &  Co.  R.  P.  M<^Giv- 
ern :  by  self,  I.  &  F.  Burpee  &  Co.,  and  Williar- 
Beals.  H.  W.  Frith  and  Diocesan  Church  Society : 
by  White  &  Slipp,  flour-dealers ;  C.  IL  Hilyard, 
liquors.  Heirs  of  John  Duncan  :  by  Erb  &  Bov/man, 
flour,  &c.  Heirs  of  George  Bonsall :  by  L.  H. 
Waterhouse,  coals ;  Stephenson  &  McLean,  commis- 
sion-merchants. 

On  Nelson  Street.  —  Jane  Inches :  bv  MaxAvell, 
Elliott  &  Bradley,  blacksmiths.  James  Lawton  and 
Joseph  Stone's  property.  W.  H.  Brown :  by  self. 
James  Lawton:  by  James  Whelpley.  Charles  Law- 
ton  :  by  self.  Eliza  Robertson  :  by  Barbour  Brothers 
and  others.  Heirs  of  Benjamin  Smith :  by  Kinnear 
Brot(hers.  John  Fitzpatrick :  by  self  and  John  Risk. 
Ueirs  D.  J.  McLaughlin :  by  A.  W.  Marsters.     Bela 


184  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

H.  Lawrence :  by  Fred  Fitzpatrick.  Fred  Fitz- 
patrick:  by  self  and  Joseph  Bullock,  kerosene  oil. 
J.  D.  &  George  II.  LaAvrence's  property.  Mrn.  Wil- 
liam Hammond :  by  Ed.  Lantalum  &  Co.,  junk. 
Berton  Brothers'  property.  George  Carvill :  by  self. 
Edward  T.  B.  Lawton  and  Benjamin  Lawton :  occu- 
pied by  Benjamin  Lawton,  boat-builder.  William 
Scovil ;  bj  Flint,  Dearborn,  &  Co.,  spice-mill.  Geo. 
Carvill :  occupied  as  a  storage-yard. 

On  Dock  Street.  —  John  McSweeney :  by  John 
Bellony,  residence  and  picture- ^  tore ;  A.  J.  Talbert, 
dry  goods ;  William  Pm-chase,  watchmaker.  John 
O'Gorman :  occupied  by  self  as  a  grocery  and  liquor 
store.  John  McSweeney:  occupied  by  John  Mullin, 
groceries  and  liquors.  Heirs  of  B.  Ferguson:  by 
Stephens  &  Figgures,  groceries  and  liquors.  Jo- 
hanna R.  Bitchie's  property.  Heirs  F.  W.  Hathe- 
way :  by  G.  M.  Burns ;  Thomas  L.  Bourke,  groceries 
and  liquors ;  John  Coholan,  provisions.  Heirs  Wil- 
liam Hammond :  by  Thomas  Nash,  soda-water ;  Fran- 
cis Collins,  commission-merchant;  Lee  &  Logan, 
groceries  and  liquors.  James  Dever  :  by  Daniel  Pat- 
ton,  liquors ;  Simeon  Jones  and  J.  N.  Wilson,  liquors. 
Heirs  John  Stanton:  by  J.  Donovan,  boots  and 
shoes ;  Michael  Binnington,  liquors.  Henry  Melick, 
heir  John  Melick:  by  W.  H.  Thome  &  Co.,  hard- 
ware.     Robert   Robertson:    by  Thomas   M.    Reed, 


EXTENT  OF   THE  CALAMITY.  185 

drugs ;  MuUin  Brothers,  clothing ;  Hugh  McCafferty, 
liquors.  Heirs  Hugh  Johnson  :  by  Thomas  Lunney, 
clothing :  Brown  &  Nugent,  licjuors.  Thomas  Parks : 
by  E.  M.  Merritt,  groceries  and  liquors.  Heirs  W. 
A.  Robertson :  by  J.  W.  &  M.  Clementson,  crockery- 
ware.  Heirs  Thomas  Parks :  by  Thomas  B.  Buxton, 
liquors.  W.  F.  Butt:  by  A.  G.  Kearns,  groceries 
and  liquors.  Otis  Small :  by  Small  &  Hatheway, 
steamboat  agents ;  E.  E.  Brewster,  agent  Prescott 
Brewing  Company.  J.  W.  &  G.  H.  Lawrence ;  by 
John  Currie,  confectioner;  Charles  Watts,  liquors. 
Trustees  Varley  School :  by  Michael  Kavanagh,  liq- 
uors. Hichard  Grace,  two  buildings :  by  McDonald 
&  Hatfield,  clothing ;  and  Stephen  Welsh.  S.  J.  & 
W.  D.  Berton :  by  Berton  Brothers,  wholesale  gro- 
cers. Heirs  Elijah  Baker:  by  William  Martin, 
clotliing.  Daniel  Monehan:  by  self  as  boot-store. 
Joshua  A.  Corkery :  by  B.  Cotter,  clothing.  John 
Gallivan  :  by  Daniel  Coughlan,  clothing. 

On  Market  Square.  By  W.  W.  McFeeters,  cloth- 
ing; C.  R.  Ray,  diiy^  goods;  P.  J.  Quinn,  dry  goods; 
Kerr  &  Scott.  J.  M.  Wiilker :  by  Lewis  &  Ailing- 
ham,  hardware.  Heirs  John  Wilmot :  by  Richard 
Thompson,  "  Sheffield  Hovtre."  Daniel  &  Boyd :  by 
owners  as  wholesale  dry  goods ;  Joseph  Barnes  &  Co., 
retail  dry  goods.  Heirs  Thomas  Merritt :  by  A.  C. 
Smith,  drugs  ;  W.  W.  Jordan,  dry  goods.  John  Mo- 
Manus  :  occupied  by  self,  clotliing. 


186  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

On  South  Wharf.  — IMts  H.  W.  Wnson:  by  F. 
Tufts,  provisions ;  Oliver  Emery,  provisions.  Heirs 
Thomas  Gilbert :  by  Gilbert  Bent,  flour,  &c.  R.  & 
G.  Barbour:  by  Barbour  Brothers.  George  S. 
DeForest:  by  self,  provisions.  William  Seovil:  by 
George  Morrison,  jun.,  provisions.  H.  &  J.  Gil- 
bert: by  Andrew  Malcolm,  groceries.  George  C. 
"Wiggins :  by  Gri£Bn  Brothers,  fish.  James  E.  Mas- 
ters :  by  Masters  &  Patterson,  fish,  &c.  James  True- 
man  :  by  self,  provisions.  Heirs  I.  L.  Bedell :  by 
W.  I.  Whiting,  provisions ;  Samuel  T.  Strang,  provis- 
ions. J.  H.  Allen :  by  self,  provisions  ;  Thomas  Gor- 
man, provisions.  James  &  Robert  Reed :  by  Thomas 
Boyne ;  W.  Lorrimer,  provisions ;  George  L.  Parte- 
low,  liquors.  Heirs  Thomas  Merritt:  by  C.  A. 
Clark,  provisions  ;  J.  C.  Ferguson,  provisions.  Heirs 
Benjamin  Smith :  by  William  Rising,  provisions. 

On  Ward  Street,  —  Heirs  Benjamin  Smith :  by 
John  M.  Stafford,  liquors.  Heirs  Benjamin  Smith : 
by  Richard  Coughlan,  liquors.  W.  W.  &  C.  G. 
TurnbuU :  old  buildings  taken  by  them  while  their 
new  building  was  being  erected.  Wm.  B.  Frith: 
storage  and  coal  sheds.  Properties  belonging  to 
Knox  &  Thompson  and  heirs  of  John  Walker  &  Co. 
W.  B.  Smith's  property.  B.  S.  H.  &  J.  S.  Gilbert : 
by  Charles  J.  Partelow,  liquors.  George  S.  De- 
Forest:  by  William  Black,  ship-chandler.    Bela  R. 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  187 

Lawrence :  by  Gilbert  Bent  as  storage-rooms.  !Mrs. 
Catherine  McNamaic^:  by  self.  William  Breeze's 
bonded  warehouse.  !Moses  Lawrence:  by  Schofield 
&  Beer,  grain,  &c.  William  M.  B.  Fritli :  by  George 
McKean,  merchandise.  William  M.  B.  Frith :  by 
J.  W.  Frith,  ship-chandler.  William  M.  B.  Frith : 
b}^  P.  McCormack,  clothing.  John  Mitchell :  by 
owner,  ship-carving.  William  Meneally:  by  self. 
Galliigher  and  Young's  cooperage.  Azor  W.  T. 
Betts :  by   Jo^n   Corbett,  block-maker. 

On  Johiiso7i^s  Wharf.  —  Stephen  S.  Hall  and  C.  H. 
Fairweather :  by  Hall  &  Fairweather,  storage.  John 
Wishart :  hy  self.  Heirs  John  Walker :  by  Robert 
Carleton,  blockmaker;  William  McFee,  blacksmith. 
W.  A.  Robertson :  by  self,  storage. 

On  Disbrow^s  Wharf.  —  John  and  William  Magee  : 
by  Jones  ^  Cassely,  riggers. 

On  St.  John  Street.  —  Sarah  A.  and  Jane  Tisdale  : 
by  James  McFarlane  ;  Arthur  P.  Tippet,  fruit  and 
groceries;  Jas.  Kennedy,  provisions.  Bela  R.  Law- 
rence :  by  C.  M.  Bostwick,  provisions.  William  B. 
Jack :  by  Thomas  McAvity  &;  Sons,  brass-founders. 
B.  S.  H.  &  J.  S.  Gilbert :  by  Thomas  IMcAvity  & 
Sons.  W.  W.  Turnbull :  by  Troop  &  McLauchlan, 
ship-chandlers.  Allen  Brothers,  property.  Property 
of  James  Harris  &  Co.  James  Ferrie :  by  self,  gro- 
cery and  liquors.     George  Carvell :  by  John  Evans, 


188  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

liquors.  Heirs  John  Walker:  by  William  Stanton, 
liquors.  Heirs  Jolin  Walker :  by  Charles  Ring, 
liquors.  Heirs  John  Walker :  by  John^  Melick,  ship- 
brokerage.  City  Corporation  :  by  harbor  -  master. 
Magee  Brothers'  property.  Henry  Brennan :  by  self, 
saloon.  Charles  Merritt :  by  C.  E.  Scammell  &  Co., 
ship-chandlers ;  George  Thomas,  merchandise ;  Jo- 
seph Prichard  &  Son,  iron  and  cordage.  Charles 
Merritt:  by  John  Regan.  Charles  Merritt:  by  T. 
McCarthy,  coal,  &c.  W.  A.  Robertson :  by  R.  Rob- 
ertson &  Son,  ship-chandlers.  J.  &  R.  Reed,  by  own- 
ers ;  J.  L.  Woodworth,  agent  IMispeck  Mills.  City 
Corporation,  as  fish-market.  Mrs.  Louisa  Hanford: 
by  Mrs.  Catherine  James.  LIrs.  Louisa  Hanford: 
by  W.  Pike,  workshops.  George  McLeod  and  Alex- 
ander Keith :  by  Hevenor  &  Co.,  coppersmiths. 
George  McLeod  and  Alexander  Keith,  storage-sheds. 
George  McLeod  and  Alexander  Keith :  by  George 
McLeod.  City  Corporation:  storage.  Heirs  Wil- 
b*am  McKay:  by  Wills  &  Rubins,  blacksmiths. 
James  E.  Holstead  and  Mrs.  Louisa  Hanford:  by 
Jaijes  E.  Holstead.  Norris  Best  and  Mrs.  Louisa 
Hanford  :  by  N.  Best,  iron-merchant.  J.  &  R.  Reed : 
hj  D.  y.  Roberts,  ship-chandler.  Henry  Vaughan  : 
by  self;  S.  Leonard  &  Co.,  groceries.  Heirs  of 
George  L.  Lovitt:  by  J.  Donaldson.  Augustus 
Quick,  and  Driscoll   Brothers.     Archibald   Rowan: 


EXTENT  OF  THE   CALAMITY.  18£ 

by  self,  plumbing.  Unoccupied  property  owned  by 
Messrs.  C.  Merritt  and  George  and  H.  Chubb. 
Bank  of  New  Brunswick  :  by  John  Runciman,  brass- 
founder.  Bank  of  New  Brunswick :  by  James  Dyall, 
plumbing.  Thomas  Furlong:  by  owner,  liquors; 
John  D.  Devoe,  liquors.  Heirs  E.  Stephens :  by 
Adam  Young,  foundry  warehouse.  Stephf^n  Whit- 
taker  :  by  James  Moulson,  groceries.  Heirs  Richard 
Sands:  by  Andrew  Buist,  liquors;  John  Horn, 
liquors ;  M.  A.  Finn,  liquors ;  and  J.  W.  Potts. 
Heirs  William  Parks :  by  J.  &  J,  Hegan.  Heirs 
Andrew  Hastings:  by  George  Robertson,  groceries. 
Charles  and  John  Patton,  groceries  and  liquors. 
Heirs  J.  M.  Robertson :  by  James  T.  Kirk,  clothing. 
On  Prince  William  Street.  —  Ed.  Sears  :  by  Andrew 
Johnston,  tailoring.  City  Corporation :  police  station. 
Henry  McCullough  :  by  H.  &  H.  A.  McCullough,  and 
Watts  &;  Turnjr,  dry  goods.  President  and  directors 
of  Maritime  Bank :  by  Maritime  Bank,  Bank  of  Mon- 
treal, Bank  of  Nova  Scotia,  Board  of  School  Trustees, 
Board  of  Trade,  Stock  Exchange ;  agency  Dun,  Wi- 
man,  &  Co.  Heirs  John  Gillis:  by  Magee  Brothers, 
diy  goods ;  John  McSweeney  &  Co.,  shoe-store. 
Buildings  owned  by  Mrs.  John  Kinnear :  Hon.  Isaac 
Burpee.  Heirs  John  Ennis,  heirs  Noah  Disbrow : 
all  rebuilding  after  previous  fire.  Heirs  Samuel  Nich- 
ols :  by  Fairall  &j  Smith,  dry  goods.    John  Armstrong : 


190  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

by  James  Manson  &  Co.,  dry  goods.  L.  H.  Vaughan : 
by  Barnes  &  Co.,  printers.  J.  L.  Dunn  :  by  E.  Peiler 
&  Brothers,  music-dealers  ;  James  S.  May,  clothing  ; 
R.  H.  B.  Tennant,  shirt-maker.  John  Anderson  :  by 
Joseph  H.  Valpey,  shoe-store  ;  John  Mitchell,  jun., 
shoe  store.  Heirs  Samuel  Nichols  :  by  Robert  Ste- 
venson, shoe-store  ;  Ed.  Lawton,  drugs.  J.  &  A.  Mc- 
Millan :  by  owners  as  book-store  and  printing-estab- 
lishment. Heirs  of  J.  M.  Walker :  by  Eastern  Ex- 
press Company ;  S.  Jones  &  Co.,  brokers ;  Sheraton  & 
Skinner,  carpets.  Fred.  A.  Wiggins :  by  M.  Francis 
&  Sons,  shoe  store  ;  Z.  G.  Gabel,  India-rubber  goods ; 
John  R.  Yaughan,  shoe-store.  City  Corporation : 
City  Building.  Heirs  Jane  Boyd :  by  William  Elder, 
printer;  IMoses  Michaels,  tobacconist.  Property  of 
Morris  Robinson  and  Bank  of  Nova  Scotia.  Maria 
S.  Bayard :  insurance-office.  A.  B.  Barnes  :  by  self 
as  a  hotel.  Heirs  George  L.  Lovitt :  by  O.  S.  Lovitt ; 
James  T.  Magee,  tinsmith.  Hugh  Davidson  :  by 
Thomas  Lunney  ;  Alfred  Mills,  chronometers.  Nathan 
Green :  by  self  as  tobacco-store ;  and  Samuel  Cor- 
bett,  cabinet-maker.  Susan  and  Phoebe  Purdy :  by 
Susan  r  -irdy.  Mrs.  John  Mclntyre :  by  W.  H. 
Olive,  agei  cy.  Patrick  McArdle  :  by  self,  liquors  ; 
J.  J.  Mullin,  clothing ;  Charles  Bailie,  fishing-rods. 
William  Cotter :  by  Docdy  &  Toole,  plumbing. 
William  Cotter :  by  self,  meat-store.     Heirs  Francis 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  191 

• 

Ferguson :  by  A.  R.  Ferguson.  Thomas  F.  Kay- 
mond :  by  owner,  as  hotel  "  Royal ; ''  Michael  Black- 
hall,  livery-stable.  Thomas  McAvity :  by  James 
Griffin.  Heirs  Thorcas  Pettingill:  by  Charles  H. 
Hay.  Heirs  James  Pettingill :  oy  O.  S.  Pettingiii. 
Heirs  Ed.  Finnegan  ;  by  Henry  Finnegan  ;  Solomon 
Hartt,  tobacconist.  Robert  S.  Hyke :  by  self,  as 
hotel  "  International."  John  Foster :  by  owner, 
groceries  and  liquors.  John  McCoskery  :  by  Charles 
A.  McCoskery,  groceries  and  liquors.  John  McCosk- 
ery :  by  Mrs.  Lordly  as  boarding-house.  Moses  Law- 
rence :  by  William  Hawker,  drugs.  Charles  King : 
by  David  Churchill,  fancy  goods.  George  A.  Freeze  : 
by  George  Scott.  Robert  Pengilly :  by  Thomas  Pen- 
gilly,  drugs.  Heirs  Thomas  Reed :  by  John  Rich- 
ards, liquors.  Heirs  William  McFadden  ;  by  James 
A.  Burns.  C.  E.  Robinson  :  by  self,  ship-brokerage. 
C.  E.  Harding :  by  self.  James  Milligan  and  Joggins 
Coal  Mining  Association,  coal-sheds.  City  Corpora- 
tion :  by  M.  May.  Heirs  H.  Chubb :  by  William 
Kirk.  Heirs  H.  Chubb  :  by  Jacob  Weiscoff,  liquors. 
Heirs  H.  Chubb :  by  Peter  Garvin.  W.  H.  Hathe- 
way :  by  self.  William  Blizzard ;  by  self.  Heirs 
William  McKay :  by  A.  Brims  &  Co.,  brewers.  Rev. 
Wm.  Scovil :  by  W.  H.  Scovil.  J.  J.  Kaye :  by  M. 
Wallace.  City  Corporation :  by  John  Howlahan.  Do- 
minion of  Canada :  Custom  House.     Trustee  Hanford 


102  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

estate ;  D.  Bridgeo,  boarding-house.  Trustee  Han- 
ford  estate :  J.  Hammond,  boots  and  shoes ;  D. 
Coughlan,  clothing.  Patrick  Morrisey:  by  self, 
liquor's.  William  Finn :  by  self ;  A.J.  H.  Bartsch. 
Ann  Thomas :  by  Mrs.  Bridget  Cain,  fruit,  &c. ; 
Thomas  Gunn,  clothing.  John  Tilton ;  by  Robert 
Wetsel,  saloon ;  Messrs.  Gould,  dyers.  Henry 
Vaughan,  and  heirs  Simonds  &  Vaughan :  by  Stew- 
art &  White,  commission-merchants.  Ellis  &  Arm- 
strong: by  owners,  printers;  Adam  Young,  ware- 
rooms.  Charles  Merritt:  by  St.  John  Building 
Society,  News  Room,  Stadacona  Insurance  Company; 
Wilson,  Gilmour,  Jc  Co.  Charles  Merritt :  by  John 
Ross,  liquors.  Charles  Merritt:  by  W.  H.  Sinnott, 
law-office.  Charlotte  Gibbons :  by  George  Sparrow, 
saloon.  James  D.  Lewin  and  Bank  of  New  Bruns- 
wick :  by  Bank  of  New  Brunswick.  Dominion  of 
Canada :  Post  Office.  Heirs  H.  Chubb :  by  George 
and  James  Chubb,  printers  and  stationers.  Heirs 
Ambrose  Perkins :  by  W.  A.  Hay  ward,  crockery- 
ware.  Heirs  William  Major:  by  William  Major, 
hair-dressing  saloon.  Heirs  J.  M.  Walker :  by  George 
Philps,  banker.  Richard  S.  and  J.  S.  Bois  DeVeber : 
by  owners,  wholesale  dry  goods.  Jessie  H.  Nicker- 
son :  by  H.  K.  Tufts,  shoe-store.  Alexander  Jardine : 
by  A.  Jardine  &  Co.,  groceries ;  Samuel  Hayward 
&  Co.,  hardware.     Heirs   Richard  Sands :    by  Wis- 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  193 

doni  &  Fisli,  ruLber-belting  and  gas-fitting;  James 
B.  Cameron  &  Co.,  oil-lamps  ;  T.  W.  Angling,  "  Free- 
man "  office ;  Steves  Brothers,  general  merchandise. 
John  Hegan:  by  J.  &  J.  Hegan,  dry  goods.  Heirs 
John  Hastings :  by  J.  J.  Hegan  and  Beard  &;  Ven- 
ning, dry  goods.  Robert  Douglas :  by  M.  Farrall, 
clothing.  Heirs  Benjamin  Longmair:  by  Robert 
Marshall,  insurance  ;  P.  C.  Redmond,  clothing ;  Mrs. 
John  Benson,  millinery ;  Roger  Hunter,  printer. 
Daniel  &  Boyd :   by  owners. 

On  Canterbury  Street.  —  Wm.  G.  Lawton  :  occu- 
pied by  owner,  dry  goods.  John  Vassie :  occupied 
by  owner,  dry  goods.  A.  G.  Bowes :  by  Bowes  and 
Evans,  tinsmiths.  James  O'Connor :  R.  J.  Ritchie, 
agent,  not  occupied.  Heirs  W.  H.  Owens :  by  Geo. 
Flinn,  saloon.  Sarah  Owens :  by  George  A.  Noble, 
shoemaker.  A.  R.  Wetmore :  by  McKillop  &  John- 
ston, printers.  Thomas  R.  Jones ;  by  self,  as  factory. 
James  Walker  :  by  N.  B.  Paper  Co.  Willis  &  Mott : 
by  owners  as  "  Daily  News  "  office  and  paper-collar 
factory.  North  British  &  Mercantile  Insurance  Co. : 
by  H.  Jack,  company's  agent,  and  Everitt  &  Butler, 
wholesale  dry  goods.  Thomas  R.  Jones :  T.  R.  Jones 
&  Co.,  wholesale  dry  goods.  Thomas  R.  Jones :  by 
W.  H.  Thorne  &  Co.,  hardware.  George  V.  Nowlin  : 
by  B.  Brannan,  liquors.  George  Moore  :  by  owner, 
tinsmith.  Heirs  D.  J.  McLaughlin :  by  Henry  Cou- 
roy  &  Son,  hair-dressers. 


104  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

On  Germa'n  Street.  —  TTcirs  Jolm  Ward  :  W.  F. 
liiitt  &  Co.,  cloUiing;  Thomas  White,  confeclion- 
Gvy.  TIeirs  John  Ward  :  Thomas  Campbell,  gas-filter. 
Heirs  W.  Tisdale  :  by  A.  Gilmour,  clothing.  Jame» 
E.  White :  by  S.  R.  Knowles,  trunks ;  R.  B.  Emer- 
son, stoves.  N.  B.  Masonic  Hi  11  Company  :  by  James 
Sweeney.  N.  B.  Masonic  Hall  Company :  by  C.  E. 
Burnham  &  Co.,  upholsterers.  N.B.  Masonic  Hall 
Company :  by  E.  McXicoll,  Messrs.  Belyea  &  Knowles. 
Rector  and  Wardens  Trinity  Ch'irch:  Trinity  Church. 
John  A.  Anderson:  by  Ann  Lyons,  old  furniture. 
D.  J.  McLaughlin :  by  Mary  Ann  Armstrong.  D.  J. 
McLaughlin  :  by  William  &  James  Notman,  photog- 
raphers. Edward  Sears,  by  self.  W.  Tremain  Gard, 
goldsmith.  Jane  Brown,  millinery.  Edward  Sears : 
by  W.  T.  Gard;  G.  Caldwell,  dentist.  Trustees 
Wesleyan  Methodist  Church :  by  Rev.  R.  Roberts. 
Trustees  Wesleyan  Methodist  Chutoh :  church. 
Trustees  Saint  John  Grammar  School:  school- 
house.  Trustees  Saint  John  Gramr^ar  School :  by 
Richard  Welch,  tailor.  Trustees  Saint  Andrew 
Church  :  church.  Victoria  Hotel  Company :  hotel. 
Property  of  Otis  Small  and  Closes  Lawrence.  Heirs 
Edwin  Bayard :  bv  Mrs.  Edwin  Bayard.  H.  R.  Ran- 
ney:  by  Mrs.  Wesley  Thompson.  John  ^McMillan  : 
by  James  McMillan.  John  McMillan  :  by  John 
McMillan.     Heirs  Robertson  Bayard ;  by  Dr.  James 


EXTENT  OF  THE   CALAMITY.  105 

A.  McAllister.  Heirs  Samuel  Seeds :  by  Mrs.  John 
McGrath.  Heirs  Samuel  Seeds :  by  ]\Irs.  Seeds. 
Heirs  Robert  Parker,  barn.  Trustees  Home  for  the 
Agod :  Home  for  the  Aged.  Trustees  Germain- 
street  Baptist  Church  :  by  Rev.  Mr.  Carey.  Trustees 
Germain-street  Baptist  Church:  church.  John  H. 
Harding :  by  self.  John  H.  Harding  :  by  Charles  E. 
Turnbull.  John  Chaloner:  by  self.  Mrs.  Duncan 
Robertson  :  by  self.  Heirs  William  Hammond  :  by 
Mrs.  Hammond.  Heirs  William  Hammond  (two 
houses)  :  by  William  Wilson.  William  Thomas  :  by 
self.  W.  C.  Perley :  by  self.  Charles  Philips :  by 
self.  Heirs  G.  E.  S.  Keator:  by  William  Lewis, 
blacksmith.  James  Miller:  by  R.  Bent,  groceries. 
James  Miller :  by  self.  Caleb  Larkins :  by  A.  J. 
Devine.  Heirs  Donald  Cameron :  by  INIrs.  B.  A. 
Cameron.  William  J.  Stevens  :  by  O.  D.  Wetmore. 
George  Hutchinson,  jun. :  by  self.  Property  belong- 
ing to  heirs  B.  Robinson.     Heirs  A.  Balloch :  by  W. 

B.  Lyon.  Mrs.  Samuel  Seeds :  by  Robert  Ritchie, 
groceries.  Heirs  Samuel  Seeds :  by  C.  K.  Cameron. 
F.  W.  Climo :  by  Mrs.  Mary  Crane.  Charles  R.  Ray : 
by  self.  James  R.  Ruel :  by  self.  Mrs.  H.  M.  John- 
son :  by  J.  M.  C.  Fiske.  Heirs  Thomas  Parks :  by 
Rev.  H.  Daniel ;  J.  R.  McFarlane,  tallow-chandler. 
Heirs  Thomas  Parks :  by  Charles  Edwards.  Heirs 
Edward  Ketchum  :  by  E.  E.  Kenney,  pianos.     Heirs 


196  GREAT  i^iRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

R.  Bayard :  by  John  Friel.  Heirs  Lauchlan  Donald- 
son :  by  Dr.  J.  E.  Griffith.  Heirs  Lauchlan  Donald- 
son :  by  Mr*^.  Mary  Keator.  AVilliam  Bayard :  by  Dr. 
William  Baj^ard.  Alexander  Sime  :  by  self.  H.  U. 
Miller :  by  self.  Joseph  Bullock :  by  self ;  Dr.  A. 
F.  McAvenny.  James  Lawton:  by  self.  William 
Davidson :  by  self.  Academy  of  Music  Company : 
Academy  of  IMusic ;  A.  T.  Bustin,  pianofortes.  Wil- 
liam Breeze:  by  self;  Miss  Philips,  hair-jewelry; 
Samuel  Tufts,  groceries.  J.  C.  Hatheway :  by  self ; 
William  Irvine  &  Brothers,  groceries.  Heirs  Henry 
Hennigar:  R.  J.  Moffatt;  Joseph  E.  Arrowsmith, 
meat  and  vegetables.  George  V.  Nowlin  :  by  Benja- 
min Williams.  George  V.  Nowlin:  by  Miss  Kate 
Reid ;  William  Bruckhop.  George  V.  Nowlin :  by 
Richard  O'Brien,  liquors ;  W.  E.  Blanchard,  sewing- 
machines.  Heirs  Daniel  Leavitt :  by  J.  D.  Underbill ; 
George  Hutchinson,  watchmaker.  James  H.  Peters : 
John  S.  Clizno,  photographer.  James  H.  Peters  :  by 
Charles  H.  Hall,  sewing-machines.  Trustees  Mrs. 
Alexander :  by  John  Leitch  &  Co.,  commission 
agency.  James  H.  Peters:  by  Hatchings  &  Co., 
bedding,  &c.  James  H.  Peters :  by  Lordly,  Howe, 
&  Co.,  furniture.  Robert  Robertson :  by  Dr.  A.  M. 
Ring ;  Charles  K.  Cameron,  millinery ;  Hamilton, 
Lomburg,  &  Co.,  commission  agents.  Heirs  D.  J. 
McLaughlan:   by  H.  Brockington,  tailoring;  John 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  197 

Gi::^.ie.  hack  and  livery  stable.  S.  K.  Foster:  by- 
self  ;  Pugsley  ana  Bradley,  dentists.  S.  K.  Foster : 
by  Samuel  Nixon  ;  Thomas  II.  Keohan,  millinery  and 
pictures.  S.  K.  Foster :  by  James  P.  Hanington, 
drugs ;  Thomas  B.  Colpitts,  photography ;  W.  K. 
Crawford,  book-store. 

On  Charlotte  Street.  —  Houses  owned  by  Charles 
Merritt,  John  Ilolden,  James  Vernon,  Dr.  McLaren, 
Dr.  John  Berryman,  Mary  L.  Wheeler,  Patrick 
Doherty,  James  Mason,  Mrs.  T.  L.  Coughlan,  Sam- 
uel Corbett,  Samuel  Hayward,  Mary  A.  and  heirs 
Samuel  Crawford,  Eliza  Chapman,  Johannah  Dacey 
and  heirs  Timothy  Dacey,  James  Devoe,  Thomas 
Welly,  John  Farren,  heirs  Benjamin  Longmore, 
heirs  Francis  McAvennv,  heirs  William  Potts,  C.  E. 
Harding,  Pugsley,  Crawford  and  Pugsley,  William 
Breeze,  R.  P.  McGivern,  James  Vernon,  Agnes  Stew- 
art (two  houses),  John  Marvin,  Samuel  Smith,  John 
Watson,  Charlotte  Stevens,  Thomas  McAvity  (two), 
William  McDermott,  Alexander  and  heirs  Robert 
Jardine,  Maritime  Sewing  Machine  Company,  Alex- 
ander McDermott,  John  Fisher,  sen.,  James  McGiv- 
ern, Dominion  of  Canada,  John  Sandall,  J.  D. 
McAvity,  II.  Duffell,  Mary  and  heirs  Peter  Fleming 
(two),  Michael  Flood,  Kate  ^Mulherrin,  Nicholas 
Powers  or  Denis  Lawlor,  Peter  Besnard,  jun.,  Wil- 
liam  McDermott,  H.   Maxwell   (three),   James  A. 


198  GREAT  FIRE  IN  iSAINT  JOHN.    . 

Harding,  James  Robinson,  Paul  Daley,  Cunio  and 
Holman,  William  White,  W.  II.  Harrison,  John 
Fielders,  William  McAuley,  Jane  Murray,  Eliza 
McLaughlin,  Louisa  Hanford,  John  D.  Devoe 
(three),  Nancy  Hazen,  Ann  D.  Thomson,  James 
AVilliams,  William  Davidson,  Mary  Farley,  Mrs. 
Frederick  James  and  others,  Peter  Besnard,  sen., 
Peter  Bernard,  George  Stockton,  John  Lawson, 
John  Nugent,  Daniel  Mullin,  Rev.  A.  Wood,  James 
H.  Pullen,  Elena  Clarahue,  John  Bcrryman  (three), 
J.  O.  Miller,  F.  J.  Cochrane,  James  Langell,  Corpo- 
ration Trinity  Church  (three),  Gideon  Prescott 
(three),  James  Guthrie  and  G.  Hevenor,  George 
Williams,  John  D.  Gaynor  (two),  William  Hillman, 
John  Winters  (two),  James  Rodgers,  Daniel  E. 
Leach,  Peter  Besnard,  William  M,  Ward,  Corpora- 
tion Trinity  Church,  occupied  by  George  Hayward 
(hotel),  Robert  Mc Andrews,  groceries  ;  George  Spar- 
row, saloon;  J.  J.  Johnston,  clothing,  Fulton  Bev- 
erly (two). 

On  Sydney  Street.  —  Buildings  owned  by  Dr.  Tra- 
vers,  W.  J.  B.  Marter  (two),  T.  C.  Humbert,  John 
McBrine,  Right  Reverend  Bishop  Sweeney  (St.  Mal- 
achi's  Hall),  George  V.  Nowlin  (two),  Ed.  McAleer, 
E.  Kinsman,  Trustees  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church 
(church),  W.  S.  ^larvin,  William  Davidson,  John 
Andei*son,  Susan  Dobson,  William  Meneally,  George 


EXTENT  OF  THE   CALAMITY.  190 

J.  Coster,  Robert  Gregory,  Right  Reverend  Bisln  p 
Sweeny  (Temperance  Ilall),  Board  of  School  Trus- 
tees (Victoria  Schoolhouse),  ^lichacl  Flood,  John  R. 
xVrmstrong,  William  Wedderburn,  Norris  Best,  Henry 
Thomas,  John  Murray,  James  Knox,  William  Barnes 
(two),  Robert  McKa}",  E.  ^l.  S.  Stewart  (three), 
William  Vassie,  Thomas  W.  Peters,  E.  L.  Perking, 
R.  Rolston,  Sarah  I^JcRor}-,  John  Carney,  Ellen 
Mooney,  Coldwell  Howard,  James  Lemon,  Sarah 
Taylor,  Elizabeth  Robbins  (two),  J.  D.  Yanwart, 
Ann  Wane  (two).  Dominion  of  Canada  (several 
properties  for  military  stores,  &c.),  John  McAnulty, 
Alexander  McDerraott,  ^lary  Clark  and  heirs,  John 
Clark,  C.  Longstroth,  Alexander  Kearns,  D.  J. 
McLaughlan  and  others,  Henry  Jack  and  others,  R. 
W.  Crookshanks,  E.  L.  Perkins,  Charles  Hillan,  S. 
K.  F.  James,  iMargaret  Maloney,  W.  J.  iMorrison, 
Michael  McAlear  (two),  Stephen  J.  Lauckner,  James 
Milligan  (two),  Christian  Brothers,  John  Gray,  Trus- 
tees St.  David's  Church  (church),  E.  Richey,  Re- 
becca Schooler  and  heirs,  David  Marshall,  L.  S. 
Currie,  James  Vernon  (two),  William  D.  Aitkin, 
Robert  Mclntyre  and  Co.,  James  L.  Taylor. 

On  Horsfield  Street,  —  James  H.  Pullen,  Mrs.  W. 
McKay  (two),  Peter  Besnard  (two),  John  Lowe 
(two),  Ellen  McAvenny,  John  Xugent  (two),  Sophia 
McLean,  Mary  Durant,  Thomas  Beddell,  Catherine 


200  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Koyes,  ^I.  Perry,  Knox  and  Thompson,  "William 
Breeze. 

On  Harding  Street.  —  Robert  Carleton,  Mary  Don- 
ahey,  Sarah  Gillice  (two),  John  Wilson  (two), 
i\Iaiy,  Richard,  and  Neil  INIorrison,  George  Hender- 
son, James  O'Connor  (three),  William  McDermott 
(two),  heirs  J.  W.  Young  (two). 

On  Pagan  Place, — Joseph  Sulis,  Louisa  Donald, 
Mrs.  Emma  Allison,  A.  L.  Palmer,  Closes  Lawrence 
(two),  Robert  Leonard,  Charles  S.  Taylor,  Stephen 
G.  Blizard. 

On  St.  Andrew^ 8  Street.  —  Thomas  W.  Peters 
(two),  Robert  Gaskin,  IL  Ahlbone,  John  Kee  (two), 
James  Gilmour,  James  Ritchey,  John  Ritchey,  James 
Sterling  (two),  John  Wishart,  Margaret  SufTren,  E. 
Woodley,  John  ^IcCaffery,  Robert  Wetsell. 

On  Carmarthen  Street.  —  Building  owned  by  Ann 
Cronin,  Elizabeth  and  Samuel  Gardner,  heirs  Aaron 
Eaton  (three),  H.  A.  Austin,  George  E.  King, 
Charles  Barnes,  Mary  A.  Ward,  E.  E.  Lockhart, 
James  Adams  (three),  John  D.  Lormer,  Samuel 
Ferguson  (two),  George  P.  Johnston  and  others 
(three),  Hugh  Bell,  Catherine  Bonnell,  James  Hill 
(two),  W.  D.  Carron,  James  Muldon,  Saint  John 
Gas  Light  Company  (gas  works).  Trustees  Method- 
ist Church  (church).  Trustees  Protestant  Orphan 
Asylum  (orphan  asylum),  MargaxCt  O'Neil  (two), 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  201 

James  !McKinncy,  James  McCrouclifortI  (Iavo),  !Mary 
Ann  Pointer,  Daniel  Smith,  John  Kirk  (two),  Sam- 
uel Dunham  (two),  Alexander  Steen,  Seth  Scribner, 
Daniel  Doyle,  Mary  Doyle,  John  Kiikpatrick,  Esq., 
Smith,  Hugh  S.  Normansell,  Jane  Carson,  Catherine 
Nagle,  Richard  Evans,  John  Kichey,  Thomas  Ran- 
kine,  Thomas  Doyle,  John  Wilson,  Charles  McLean, 
"W.  P.  Dole,  Joseph  Henderson,  II.  Henderson,  Rev. 
J.  R.  Narrawuy,  Andrew  Kenney,  L.  II.  Waterhouse, 
Agnes  £i.  Prouse,  William  Nixon,  Daniel  Driscoll, 
Rohort  Wetsell,  George  Sparrow  and  J.  S.  Richard- 
son, William  Finley.    * 

On  Wcntworth  Street,  —  Buildings  belonging  to  E. 
E.  Lockhart,  Thomas  Dobson,  George  Sparrow, 
George  Blatch,  Cornelius  Sparrow  (two),  John  W. 
Fleming  and  others,  Henry  Whiteside,  John  Fitz- 
patrick,  Henry  Coffey,  M.  Barnes,  C.  Flaherty,  C.  E. 
Sulis,  B.  P.  Price  (three),  James  Moulson  and 
others  (two),  John  A.  Anderson,  B.  McDermott,  R. 
P.  Emerson,  J.  T.  Barnes,  George  Doherty  (two), 
C.  Gathers  (two),  Alexander  Steen,  William  Hill 
(two),  Knox  and  Thompson  (four),  John  Carr. 

On  Main  Street,  —  John  E.  Turnbull  (four),  John 
Woodley,  James  G.  Jordan,  Alexander  Steen  (two), 
James  Tole,  James  O'Brien,  William  Bowden,  Wil- 
liam Coxetter  and  Michael  Tucker,  Thomas  ^I.  Reed, 
Sarah  L.  Collins  (two),  Daniel  McDermott,  P.  Van- 


202  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

horn,  James  iMalioney  (three),  James  Mouison,  Jane 
Hale* row,  Lawrence  Markee,  George  J.  Suh's  (two), 
William  Lewis,  John  and  Robert  Magee,  Trcop  & 
Co.  (Vinegar  Works),  J.  W.  Nicholson,  George  R. 
Bent  (two),  A.  L.  Rawlins,  D.  Knight,  F.  Mahoney, 
Edward  Thurmott,  William  McKinney,  Archibald 
Dibblee,  George  V.  Thomas,  John  Guthrie,  M?,ry 
Ann  Ratcliff,  James  McKinney,  O.  V.  Troop,  Rec- 
tor and  Wardens  Saint  James  Church  (church), 
C.  Langstroth,  Andrew  Armstrong. 

On  Britain  Street.  —  Building  owned  by  Sarah 
McFadden,  Jane  Barbour,  John  Collins,  D.  J.  Schur- 
man,  John  Scott,  Henry  Spears,  Thomas  Miller, 
Thomas  McCuUough,  Thomas  Crozier,  James  Price, 
William  J.  Colson,  P.  McGonnagle,  C.  Larkins,  H. 
W.  Purdy,  E.  Murray,  heirs  D.  Hatfield,  James 
McAvit}^,  William  Furlong,  John  Abbott,  John 
Bartlett,  Albert  Peters,  George  Garraty,  B.  Coxet- 
ter,  E.  Thompson,  Margaret  McPartland,  Fay  Stew- 
art, Daniel  Jordan  (two),  William  Ennis,  James 
Nicholson,  Robert  Barbour,  Albert  Betts,  H.  W. 
Purdy,  Charles  Merritt  (three),  George  W.  Beiyea, 
J.  J.  Jardine,  James  Gorman,  J.  Moore  (two),  Law- 
rence McMann  (two),  James  Peckthall,  F.  M,  Han- 
cock, C.  J.  Ward,  Mrs.  James  Bell,  W.  H.  Hathe- 
way,  John  Hutchinson,  Peter  Besnard,  sen.  (three), 
^Robert  Johnston  (two),  J.  Hayes,  Neil  Hoyt,  Nich- 


EXTENT  OF  TUE  CALAMITY.  203 

olas  Carroll,  M.  Barnes,  Heirs  L.  H.  DeVeber  (two), 
F.  Pheasant,  Andrew  Doyle,  Robert  D^ilton,  W.  J. 
Pratt,  D.  Robinson,  W.  A.  Ma^ee,  S.  McGarvey, 
Margaret  McPartland,  Bridget  Murpliy,  Thomas  Bis- 
set  t,  Bridget  Farren,  J.  George,  Edward  Duffy,  J.  E. 
TurnbuU  (two),  E.  Thompson  (two),  John  Moran 
(two),  John  Crowley,,  W.  H.  Qninn  (three),  Fran- 
cis Williams  (two),  F.  M.  Hancock,  John  Wishart, 
David  J.  Schuerman,  Mary  McCnrdy,  H.  Maxwell 
and  Son,  G.  Blizard,  Thomas  Robinson. 

On  Saint  James  Street.  —  Thomas  M.  Reed,  O. 
Cline,  Richard  Cline,  James  Kemp,  John  Bridges,  \V. 
I.  Whiting,  J.  McLarren,  E.  Thompson,  Mrs.  Alex. 
Couglilan,  William  Leahy,  Samuel  Rutherford,  John 
Doody,  John  Sherrard,  John  Knowles,  John  Sears 
(three),  Cornelius  Cain,  William  Furlong  (two), 
Bridget  IMurph}^,  John  Watson,  Thomas  Viall,  George 
Young,  James  Ellis,  E.  L.  Perkins  (two),  William 
Simpson,  Alice  McKean,  Patrick  McGonagle,  M.^ 
Burk,  P.  Ferric,  IMrs.  Thomas  Hanlon,  Samuel  Fisher, 
Eliza  Wilson,  John  Wilson,  jun.,  J.  and  A.  Camp- 
bell, Daniel  Sullivan,  Robert  Holmes,  Cornelius  Mori- 
arty,  John  Runciman,  Robert  J.  Coldwell,  W.  Casey, 
Board  of  School  Trustees  (schoolhouse).  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Scovil,  Johu  Fisher,  John  Cain,  Rev.  Wil  jam 
Scovil,  and  TrUotees  of  Wiggin's  Orphfin  Asylum 
(asylum),  Jeremiah  Drake,  William  Duffell,  Thomas 


204  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

White,  Thomas  Pike,  William  Furlong,  F.  P.  Robin- 
son,  John  Winters,  James  Price,  William  Gilfillan, 
Louisa  Oglesby,  Martha  Ray,  Jane  White  (two), 
William  Russell,  Mrs.  David  Millar,  heirs  Thomas 
King,  P.  Condon,  James  Aykroyd,  David  Stewart, 
Patrick  Ferrie,  Charles  Osburn,  Elizabeth  Spence, 
Rev.  M.  Ritchey,  Thomas  Kedey,  William  Lewis 
(three),  Michael  Flood,  John  Wish  art,  John  S.  Mul- 
lin,  John  Littler,  Michael  Flood,  heirs  Daniel  Hat- 
field, heirs  F.  Dibblee,  Purdy  heirs,  B.  Coxetter. 
Thomas  G.  Merritt,  heirs  Richard  Sands,  Caleb 
Larkins,  Thomas  F.  Raymond,  Mrs.  Clementson,  D. 
J.  Schurman,  Thomas  Littlejohn,  Charles  Sinclair, 
John  Callahan. 

On  Pitt  Street,  —  Buildings  owned  by  Silas  H. 
Brown,  Henry  Lawlor,  James  Cummings,  Francis 
Jordan,  Rebecca  Fisher,  Ed.  R.  Fisher,  D.  S.  Robin- 
son, James  Hewett,  C.  Lawton  (two),  and  several 
smaller  buildings. 

On  Shejjield  Street.  —  Buildings  owned  by  Gilbert 
estate,  Matthew  Thompson  ''(two),  James  Carr,  E. 
Vanhorn,  James  Brown,  heirs  Ged.  McKelvie  (two), 
John  A.  Anderson,  Robert  Robertson,  Margaret  Hen- 
nigar,  Joseph  Kimpson,  Ferguson  &  Rankine  (two). 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  Michael  McVane, 
(two),  Robert  Conniff,  John  Kirk,  Alex.  Harvey, 
Jane  Wasson,  Mrs.  P.  Riley,  James  Henry  Anthony, 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  205 

JoLn  McCabe  (two),  John  "Woodburn,  C.  O'Keeffe, 
Richard  McCluskey,  John  Fisher,  Alexander  McDer- 
mott,  Purvc.  ^  Moore,  J.  Drake,  E.  Magee,  John 
Porter,  Rector  and  Wardens  Saint  James  Church, 
Stephcci  and  James  Oakes,  Samuel  Dunham,  Mary 
Ann  Pointer,  Catherine  O'Neal  (two),  Michael  Mc- 
Vane,  Daniel  Smith,  Joseph  McCullough,  McKelvie 
heirs.  Trustees  Methodist  Church,  David  Dodge  and 
Elizabeth  Nixon,  Lewis  Wheaton,  George  Anning, 
Joseph  Sulis,  James  Vanhorn. 

On  Queen  Square^  north  Bide.  —  E.  L.  Jewett, 
Thomas  Furlong,  Isaac  Woodward,  John  Boyd, 
George  B.  Gushing,  Robert  Crookshanks,  A.  L. 
Palmer,  James  Manson  (two). 

On  Queen  Square^  south  side,  —  W.  B.  Smith, 
heirs  Charles  Brown,  John  Horn,  J.  W.  Barnes,  D. 
Robertson  (two),  Mrs.  Charles  Brown  and  heirs  of 
Charles  Brown,  John  Stewart,  F.  Tufts,  John  Tucker, 
H.  Jack. 

On  Queen  Street.  —  John  Foster,  Richard  Longman, 
Margaret  Oliver,  Thomas  P.  Davis,  H.  Hawkins,  Jes- 
sie Day,  Mrs.  Alex.  Dalsall,  J.  H.  Harding,  James  U. 
Thomas,  Joseph  Sulis,  George  Riley  and  heirs,  Rob- 
ert Riley  (two),  Jeremiah  O'Connell,  William  Davis 
and  heirs,  John  McNichol,  Mary  Bersay,  John  R. 
McFarlane,  James  McCart  (two),  Ed.  Edgson,  Mrs. 
Jane   McPherson,   James   Thomas  and   heirs,  John 


206  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Thomas,  Hugh  Kelly,  Samuel  Benterell,  »J(>hii  Ilamil 
ton,  Maigaret  Homer,  heirs  John  Roberts,  George  S. 
Fisher,  Robert  Turner,  JoIju  ]\IcBriiie  (two),  Rich- 
ard Cassidy  (two),  John  Kerr,  Thomas  Jordan,  D. 
S.  Kerr,  John  Pettingill,  C.  Flood  (two),  George 
SuiTren,  Charles  E.  Raymond,  John  Fitzpatrick, 
James  Gallaghar,  George  Johnson  Nixon,  A.  Quirk, 
heirs  R.  liayard,  R.  J.  Leonard,  G.  F.  Soley  (two), 
Alex.  Steen,  Hugh  Carswell,  Mrs.  John  Milledge, 
Hugh  S.  Normansall,  heirs  John  Whitney,  John  Wil- 
son, jun.,  J(>lm  Wilson  (two),  Margaret  and  heirs 
Joseph  Ilanley  (two),  Thomas  Doyle,  Andrew  Evans, 
Robert  Marshall,  William  Black,  F.  M.  Hancock, 
Alex.  McKelvey,  William  Pike  (two),  heirs  I).  J. 
McLaughlin,  J.  McFarlanc,  Thomas  McAvity,  jun. 
Robert  Hickson,  M.  Frances,  D.  Brown,  Mary  Crotli- 
ers  and  heirs  John  Crothers,  Ann  Thomas,  Andrew 
Kcohan,  Mary  Williams,  John  Scallon  (two),  Simeon 
Leonard. 

On  Mecldenhurg  Street.  —  James  Hutchinson  and 
heirs  Joseph  Stephenson  (two),  Richard  Longmaid, 
H.  Vaughan  (two),  John  Vassie,  Charles  McLean, 
heirs  James  Whitney,  Margaret  Hillman,  C.  Mclver, 
heirs  Charles  Whitne} ,  John  Dyers,  Mary  Doekrill, 
W.  ]\L  Jordan,  James  Emerson,  James  McNichol, 
heirs  Joseph  Atkins,  Mary  Ann  McLean,  F.  L. 
Lewin,  T.  W.  Seeds,  Benjamin  Dodge,  John  Ennis. 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  207 

Jolin  Dick,  James  Woodstock,  PIieLe  Bookliout, 
Martin  Burns,  Edward  Purchase,  Thomas  Dobsoii, 
Ann  Atkins,  James  Knox,  Francis  Gallagher,  Mat- 
thew Steen,  William  Causey,  George  V.  Nowlin, 
Andrew  Armstrong,  W.  McVay,  William  McKeel, 
heirs  Aaron  Eaton,  John  Magee,  William  Magee, 
J.  W.  Nicholson. 

On  I)uke  Street.  —  P.  McArdle,  Peter  Flanagan, 
Mrs.  Francis  Ferguson  (two),  Joseph  Bell,  John 
McSorley  (three),  heirs  R.  Bayard  (two),  A.  Blain, 
Peter  Besnard  (two),  Mrs.  William  Livingston,  ^Irs. 
W.  Frazer,  John  IMarven,  Samuel  Tufts,  Jeremiah 
Shannon,  O.  Bailey,  trustees  Madras  School,  Cor- 
bett,  Seely  and  Besnard,  R.  W.  Crookshank,  Susan 
Stephenson,  Bernard  Brannan  (two),  Robert  Thom- 
son (two),  Samuel  Gardner,  Andrew  Gilmour,  Rev. 
William  Scovil,  S.  K.  Brundage,  Joseph  Ilend^  rson, 
H.  Henderson,  William  II.  Yandall,  William  McBay, 
J.  Wilkins,  sen.,  J.  Wilkins,  jun.,  William  Francis, 
James  Adams,  Mrs.  Gilchrist,  James  Saunders,  Sarah 
Whitney,  Sarah  Partelow,  Edward  Purchase  (two), 
Robert  S.  Jones,  George  Sparrow,  Mary  Ann  IVIc- 
Lean  (two),  M.  Morrison,  Charlotte  Jones,  Michael 
Burns,  P.  Bushfan,  George  Sparrow,  William  Wright, 
heirs  William  Melody,  Margaret  Ilartness,  E.  Burn- 
tide,  Howard  D.  Troop,  John  Marveu,  John  Cook, 
James  Adams,  Sarah  Ferguson,  heirs  Edward  Brun- 


208  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

dage  (two),  Clara  and  heirs  Thomas  Kent,  "William 
Stephens,  Jacob  Seely,  trustees  Christian  Church 
(church),  John  Wishart,  L.  H.  Waterholise,  James 
Milligan,  Sarah  Jane  Ferguson,  George  A.  Thomp- 
son, John  Richards,  W.  F.  Butt,  Arthur  Daniel 
(two),  heirs  Daniel  Culbert,  James  Vernon,  Mrs. 
Earley,  Peter  Besnard,  sen,,  Sarah  Gillice,  Mrs. 
William  Livingston,  J.  O'Connell,  Peter  Dearness, 
Peter  Besnard,  sen.,  heirs  Michael  McGuirk  (two), 
James  Reed  (two),  Ann  Jane  Ritchie,  George  Stock- 
ford,  Caroline  Wood,  Hugh  Davidson,  Susan  Chittick 
(two),  James  and  Robert  Reed. 

On  Orange  Street.  —  William  Meneally,  John 
Smith,  Andrew  Gray,  M.  Hennigar  (two),  O.  D. 
Wetmore,  Andrew  Kinney  (two),  Chas.  H.  Wright, 
James  Adams,  W.  R.  McKenzie,  D.  G.  McKenzie, 
W.  E.  Vroom,  Stephen  J.  and  heirs  George  King, 
Howard  D.  Troop,  C.  W.  Weldon,  A.  C.  Smith,  R. 
R.  Sneden,  E.  J.  Berteaux,  Joseph  Prichard  (four), 
Jane  Cook,  James  McLean,  Catherine  Allen,  Thomas 
Johnscon,  Henry  Lawlor,  B.  Murph}^,  James  E. 
Whittaker,  J.  R.  Woodburn,  Z.  G.  Gabel,  James 
Estey,  Charles  Drury,  Emma  J.  Daley,  John  Sweeny, 
J.  W.  Hall,  George  McLeod,  J.  Albert  Venning, 
Robert  Blair,  Margaret  Sinnott,  heirs  Robert  Mc- 
Afee, heirs  William  Bailey,  James  Morrison,  heirs 
Thomas  P.  Williams. 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  209 

On  Princess  Street,  —  Alexander  Barnhill,  "W.  J. 
Ritchie  (Ritchie's  Building),  E.  Thompson,  Robert 
Grace,  P.  Bradley,  J.  C.  Hatheway,  M.D.,  Edward 
Sears,  Patrick  Fitzpatrick,  "^Villiam  Burtis,  Andrew 
Buist,  James  Hunter,  Knox  &  Thompson,  John  Burk, 
J.  H.  Lee,  B.  Lester  Peters  and  heirs  B.  Peters, 
Thomas  Rodgers,  John  Anderson  (two),  John  Mur- 
phy, B.  Bustin,  heirs  John  Mason,  G.  Bent,  Margaret 
Hunter,  John  Nugent,  Mary  Craig,  James  H.  Bart- 
lett,  ]\Irs.  David  Miller,  Thomas  Miller,  James  Bus- 
tin,  Frederick  Dorman,  heirs  Thomas  P.  Williams, 
O.  Doherty,  Adam  Young,  C.  E.  Robinson,  J.  H. 
Scammell,  John  Ilealey,  John  Gardner,  Mrs.  Mary 
A.  and  E.  E.  Lockhart  (two),  Ann  and  heirs  of 
George  A.  Lockhart,  R.  W.  Thorne,  H.  Williams, 
W.  Sandall,  Robert  McAndrews,  James  Robinson, 
Susan  and  heirs  J.  Johnston,  Ann  Hamilton  and 
heirs  Clara  Dean,  William  Fogg,  Mary  Ann  Ells- 
worth, J.  V.  Troop,  Simeon  Jones,  Alexander  Lock- 
hart, trustees  Centenary  Church  (parsonage),  W.  C. 
Drury,  Thomas  A.  Godsoe,  J.  W.  Scammell,  Thomas 
D.  Henderson,  G.  W.  Whitney,  A.  D.  Wilson,  Mrs. 
Ellen  Smith,  John  Dougherty,  Charles  Patton,  trus- 
tees Joshua  S.  Turner,  Thomas  Bustin,  P.  Halpin, 
Sidney  B.  Paterson,  Barbara  Clark,  W.  C.  Godsoe, 
James  Truman,  J.  V.  Troop,  trustees  Centenary 
Church   (church),  James    Leitch,  Edward  Willis, 


210  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Joseph  Miller,  Robert  Law,  George  Thomas,  Charles 
Walters  (judge),  Benjamin  Lowe,  IL  A.  Ilatheway 
(two),  Harriet  Truman,  W.  Walton,  George  Mat- 
thews (two),  S.  A.  Dixon,  E.  ^L  Merritt,  Michael 
Thompson,  Alexander  McL.  Stavely,  H.  S.  Gregory, 
Helen  York  and  Capt.  Thomas  York,  John  Ander- 
son, James  Sullivan,  Michael  Thompson,  George  F. 
Thompson,  John  J.  !Munroe,  John  E.  Ganong,  T. 
Gray  Merritt,  Jane  Woods,  John  Burke,  Mrs.  James 
Drake,  George  C.  Wiggins,  W.  H.  Ilayward,  M.  N. 
Powers,  Catherine  and  heirs  Michael  Donnolly,  Fred- 
erick A.  Wiggins. 

On  Lelnster  Street.  —  Francis  Cassidy,  James  Mil- 
igan,  Lydia  Gardner  (two),  Joseph  Edgar,  John 
Roop,  George  V.  Nowlin,  Mrs.  Wallace  and  George 
W.  Masters,  Mrs.  Samuel  Bustin,  Alexander  McL. 
Seely  and  trustees  of  Baptist  Church  (church), 
Jane  Rutherford,  H.  L.  Frances,  Mary  Murray,  Fran- 
cis McDevitt,  trustees  Varley  School,  Mrs.  E.  Lunt 
and  heirs  Enoch  Lunt,  Joseph  Lunt,  George  V. 
Nowlin  (two),  A.  W.  Masters,  George  V.  Nowlin 
and  Silas  IL  Brown,  James  Sullivan,  Mm.  Lydia  J. 
Calhoun,  Joseph  Read,  W.  IL  and  D.  Ilayward,  A. 
IL  Eaton,  John  Corr,  E.  K.  Foster,  John  Gallagher, 
Denis  Sullivan,  heirs  William  Bailey,  Francis  Hewitt 
(two),  John  Roop  (two),  George  W.  Masters,  G.  V. 
Kowlin,  Charles  IL  Dearborn,  G.  Merritt,  Gilbert 
Murdoch,  Thomas  C.  Humbert,  John  McBrine. 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  211 

On  Cliurch  Street.  —  George  A.  Kiiodell,  iM. 
Thompson,  George  Pattison,  Thomas  S.  Wetmore, 
James  II.  Peters,  Mrs.  Jane  Disbrow,  Ellen  Maho- 
ney,  Edward  Mahcr,  Archibald  Bowes,  Robert  T. 
Clinch  andlieirs  E.  Barlow. 

On  Klnffs  Square^  south  side.  —  Charles  M.  Bost- 
wick,  Charles  Merritt,  Trustees  Irish  Friendly  So- 
ciety (lyceum),  heirs  B.  Ansley,  James  and  Robert 
Milligan,  C.  A.  Robertson. 

On  King  Street.  —  Mrs.  John  Gillis  and  heirs  John 
Gillis :  occupied  by  J.  K.  Storey  and  Co.,  dry  goods. 
James  Manson :  by  self,  dry  goods.  Robert  T.  Clinch 
and  heirs  E.  Barlow :  by  James  Adams  &  Co.,  dry 
goods,  and  E.  Sharp  &  Co.,  dry  goods.  D.  J.  Mc- 
Laughlin and  heirs  Daniel  McLaughlin :  by  II.  R. 
Smith,  bookstore  ;  John  Mullin,  boots  and  shoes  ;  J. 
R.  Woodburn,  photography.  Stephen  E.  Whittaker  : 
by  J.  II.  Russell,  hotel ;  W.  Delia  Torre  &  Co., 
fancy  goods  ;  George  Stewart,  jun.,  drugs.  James  E. 
Whittaker :  by  Bardsley  Brothers,  hat-store ;  Salmon 
&  Cameron,  photographers  ;  Scott  &  Binning ;  W.  J. 
McGovern,  hats  and  caps.  George  Barker  :  by  J.  D. 
Lawior,  sewing-machines ;  I.  J.  D.  Landry,  pianos. 
Mrs.  George  Taylor :  by  F.  S.  Skinner,  groceries ; 
Percival  &  Purchase,  fancy  goods ;  W.  C.  Gibson, 
i'diacy  goods.  John  Dougherty :  by  E.  IMoore,  J.  L. 
Thorne,  and  John  Kerr.     The  other  owners  on  this 


212  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

street  burnt  out  were  heirs  of  William  Melick,  Mrs. 
John  Hay,  John  Fisher,  William  Kennedy,  Corpora- 
tion of  Trinity  Church,  Thomas  Hale  (two),  J.  S. 
Hall,  C.  Flood,  Samuel  Schofield,  Thomas  Secly,  Ann 
Howe,  John  Mitciiell,  Mary  Fiddler,  William  Peters, 
Heirs  H.  Chubb,  Joseph  Nichols.  James  R.  Ruel  and 
Robert  Light :  by  C.  &  E.  Everett,  hatters.  Mrs. 
Charles  C.  McDon^^td  (three)  :  by  Adams  &  Saun- 
ders, boots  and  shoes ;  L.  L.  Sharpe,  watchmaker ; 
W.  Waterbury,  hardware  ;  James  McConnell,  boots 
and  shoes.  Joseph  W.  Hall  (two)  :  by  H.  Kirkpat- 
rick.  W.  H.  Scovil :  by  P.  Sharkey  &  Son,  cloth- 
ing. Robert  T.  Clinch  and  heirs  E.  'Barlow:  by 
electric  telegraph  office. 

On  Union  Street.  —  Brown  estate,  Peter  and  John 
Campbell,  Daniel  Donovan,  Mrs.  Lantalum  (two), 
J.  W.  Hall  (two),  John  Gallivan,  John  McSweeney 
(three),  heirs  D.  McLaughlin,  Charles  Lawton,  Sen- 
ator Dever,  J.  Fred.  Lawton,  L.  Burns,  J.  Hegan,  John 
Lloyd,  Hare  heirs,  Mrs.  John  Bryden,  John  Higgins, 
W,  Wilson,  A.  Yeats  &  Sons  (three),  J.  and  T.  Rob- 
inson (two). 

lu  the  foregoing  list,  the  reader  will  observe  the 
great  number  of  dwellings  owned  by  single  indi- 
viduals ;  and  when  he  recalls  the  fact,  that,  in  seven 
cases  out  of  ten,  their  homes  were  all  they  could 
claim  as  their  own^  he  will  begin  to  comprehend  how 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  213 

great  was  the  loss  to  the  working  classes  of  Saint 
John. 

The  whole  area  over  which  the  fire  extended  is 
stated  by  the  best  authority  at  290  acres,  of  which 
83  acres  were  in  Queen's,  73  in  Duke's,  95  in  Syd- 
ney, and  39  in  King's  Wards.  Tins  estimate  cannot 
be  more  than  ten  acres  from  the  truth  one  way  or 
the  other,  and  may  be  accepted  as  being  as  nearly 
correct  as  can  be  given  without  an  actual  re-survey 
of  the  ground.  The  number  of  streets  and  squares 
over  which  the  fire  extended,  and  which  were  totally 
or  partially  destroyed  by  it,  was  39,  —  Britain,  Car- 
marthen, Church,  Drury  Lane,  Georges,  Harding, 
King  Square,  Leinster,  Market  Square,  ^lill.  North, 
Pagan  Place,  Princess,  Queen  Square,  Robertson 
Place,  Smyth,  St.  Andrews,  Ward,  Wentworth,  Can 
terbury,  Charlotte,  Dock,  Duke,  Germain,  Horsfield, 
King,  Main,  Mecklenburg,  Nelson,  Orange,  Pitt, 
Prince  William,  Queen  Street,  Sheffield,  Sydney,  St. 
James,  Water,  North  Wharf,  South  Wharf. 

Twenty-one  streets  were  utterly  destroyed,  not  one 
house  being  left  throughout  their  whole  extent. 
The  remainder,  with  the  exception  of  King  and  Pitt 
Streets,  had  in  no  case  more  than  a  block  left ;  and  in 
most  only  two  or  three  houses  escaped  the  flames. 
The  total  length  of  the  streets  destroyed  was  about 
ten  miles. 


214  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

The  following  is  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  per- 
sons who  resided  in  the  burnt  district,  based  on  the 
census  of  1871 :  Queen's  Ward,  5,483;  Duke's  Ward, 
4,678;  Sydney  Ward,  2,530;  King's  Ward,  1,500; 
Total  14,191. 

The  number  of  families  burnt  out  is  estimated  at 
2,780,  and  the  dwellings  consumed  at  2,000. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  number  of  establish 
ments  in  the  several  lines  of  business  designated 
whicia  were  destroyed  by  the  fire :  Manufacturers,  20 
architects,  4 ;  auctioneers,  7 ;  bakers,  11 ;  banks,  5 
bankers,  private,  4;  barristers,  80;  blacksmiths,  10 
block  and  piunp  makers,  8 ;  boarding-houses,  55 
boat-builders,  5;  bcok-binders,  5;  book-stores,  7 
boot  and  shoe  makers,  38 ;  boot  and  shoe  stores,  14 
brass-founders,  6;  builders,  27;  cabinet-makers,  9 
clothiers,  29,  commission-merchants,  93;  confection- 
ers, 6 ;  dentists,  9 ;  druggists,  8 ;  dry  goods  (whole- 
sale), 14;  diy  goods  (retail),  22;  dining  and  oyster 
saloons,  10 ;  flour-dealers,  32 ;  fruit  dealers,  7 ;  gro- 
cers (vvholesale),  40;  grocers  (retail),  102;  gas-fit- 
ters and  plumbers,  9 ;  hairdressers,  13 ;  hardware 
stores,  8 ;  hotels,  14 ;  insurance-agents,  29 ;  iron-mer- 
chants, 8;  liquor-dealers  (wholesale),  27;  linuor- 
dealers  (retail),  116 ;  livery  stables,  8;  lamber-mer- 
chants,  12 ;  marble-works,  6 ;  merchant-tailors,  36 ; 
newspapers,    7;    painters,    13;     photographers,    6; 


EXTENT  OF  THE  CALAMITY.  215 

physicians  and  surgeons,  15 ;  printers  (job-'vork),  10 ; 
riggers,  7 ;  sailmakers,  5 ;  sliip-cliandlcrs,  14 ;  ship- 
smiths,  8 ;  stove-dealers,  8 ;  tobacconists,  7 ;  under- 
takers, 4  ;  watchmakers  and  jewellers,  12. 

The  above  forms  a  pretty  long  list,  and  will  gi  .'e 
some  idea  of  what  the  mere  losses  in  stocks  must 
have  been,  exclusive  of  buildings.  We  must  confess 
ourselves  without  data  at  present  to  estimate  these 
losses  accurately.  No  average  can  be  struck  among 
establishments  which  vary  so  much  in  character  and 
extent ;  and  there  is  no  means  at  present  of  summing 
up  the  individual  losses,  for  even  the  insurance- 
agents,  with  all  the  appliances  at  their  command, 
have  not  yet  got  through  their  work,  and  many  were 
not  insured  at  all. 

The  loss  of  public  buildings  was  severe.  Three 
theatres  were  destroyed ;  viz.,  the  Academy  of  Mu- 
sic, Dramatic  Lyceum,  Dock-street  Opera  House. 

The  number  of  places  of  public  worship  destroyed 
was  13,  divided  among  the  denominations  as  follows  : 
4  Baptist,  3  Presbyterian,  3  Methodist,  2  Episcopal, 
1  C'  iistian. 

The  other  buildings  of  a  public  character  were  the 
Custom  House,  Savings  Bank,  Post  Office,  City 
Building,  Wiggins  Orphan  Institution,  Victoria 
School,  Temperance  Hall,  Home  for  the  Aged,  Prot- 
estant Orphan  Asylum,  Deaf  and  Dumb  Institution, 


216  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

St.  Malaehrs  Hall,  R.  C.  Temperance  Hall,  Gram- 
mar School  building,  Varley  School,  National  School 
building,  besides  a  large  number  of  other  school- 
buildings  throughout  the  city. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  DEAD  AND  WOUNDED. 

Tlie  Number  of  Deaths  unknown. — Eighteen  suddenly  killed.— 
Deaths  in  the  Hospital.  —  Mention  of  Individual  Cases.  ~  Acci- 
dental burning.  —  The  List  of  the  Injured.  —  The  Dependent 
Families. 

rr^HE  number  of  deaths  reported  by  the  local  press 
-*-  was  astonishingly  small  in  view  of  the  extreme 
danger  which  threatened  the  whole  people ;  and 
there  may  have  been  several  deaths  which  ^^rould  not 
become  known  until  months  or  years  of  absence  con- 
firmed the  suspicion.  A  writer  in  the  Saint  John 
"  Globe  "  gave  an  account  of  the  dead  and  wounded, 
which  was  as  nearly  complete  as  such  an  account 
could  well  be.  He  said  that  eighteen  persons,  at 
least,  died  sudden  deaths  in  connection  with  the  fire. 
Out  of  these  only  eight  were  taken  to  the  dead- 
house,  and  only  two  inquests  were  held;  the  coro- 
ner deeming  it  unnecessary  to  hold  an  inquiry  in  the 
other  cases.  Among  the  first  to  be  killed  were  Gar- 
ret Cotter  and  Peter  McGovern,  who  were  killed  by 

317 


218  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

* 

the  cornice  falling  off  Adams's  building.  Cotter  was 
a  young  man,  a  cutter  by  trade,  worldng  in  Mr. 
J.  S.  May's.  He  lived  in  Crown  Street  with  his 
widowed  mother,  his  father  having  been  killed  many 
years  ago  on  the  railway.  Peter  McGovern  was  an 
old  man,  and  lived  with  his  family  on  the  Straight 
Shore.  In  the  Reed  House  on  Main  Street,  Lower 
Cove,  three  ladies  were  burned  to  death.  These  were 
Mrs.  Reed,  mother  of  ex-Mayor  Reed,  and  the  Misses 
Clark,  Mr.  Reed's  aunis  Mr.  John  E.  Turnbull  and 
others  made  desperate  efforts  to  save  the  ladies ;  but 
all  attempts  were  unavailing.  Their  bodies  were 
never  recovered.  Capt.  William  Firth,  the  well- 
known  ship-chandler,  also  met  his  death  in  the  flames. 
His  remains  were  found  in  Prince  William  Street, 
near  Barnes's  Hotel.  He  left  a  wife  and  family. 
Mr.  Samuel  Corbett,  cabinet-maker,  on  Prince  Wil- 
liam Street,  is  among  the  missing,  and  there  is  no 
doubt  whatever  that  he  met  a  horrible  death.  Mr. 
Joseph  Bell,  painter,  cannot  be  found ;  and  he,  too, 
has  become  another  \  Ictim  to  the  terrible  disaster.  He 
was  a  married  man.  Two  persons  were  drowned  in 
the  harbor  while  endeavoring  to  save  their  property  in 
boats ;  the  bottom  of  the  craft  breaking,  and  the  boat 
filling.  So  great  was  the  excitement,  that,  although 
the  boat  was  only  a  few  yards  from  the  vessels  in  the 
stream,  both  of  its  occupants  had  sunk  before  any 


TEE  DEAD  AND    WOUNDED.  219 

effort  was  made  to  rescue  thera.  These  were  James 
Kemp  and  Thomas  Holmes.  Kemp  was  a  joiiii<^ 
man  of  about  twenty-one  years,  and  was  clerk  in 
Mr.  Michael  FarreFs  clothing-store,  Prince  William 
Street.  He  leaves  a  wife  and  one  child.  Thomas 
Holmes  was  a  lad  of  about  seventeen  years  of  age, 
and  lived  with  his  mother  on  Harding  Street.  An- 
other victim  was  Timothy  O'Lea^y,  an  old  man  who 
kept  an  apple-stand  at  the  foot  of  Dock  Street,  and 
whose  body  was  never  found.  There  is  no  ques- 
tion, however,  but  that  he  was  burned  in  Drury 
Lane.  He  leaves  a  wife.  Mrs.  Coholan,  wife  of 
William  Coholan,  Smyth  Street,  also  perished  in  the 
flames.  Her  body  was  never  found.  Mrs.  Bradley, 
who  lived  on  Princess  Street,  also  met  her  death  on 
this  never-to-be-forgotten  night.  Some  human  bones 
were  found  on  the  door-step  of  her  house,  and  it 
is  thought  that  these  were  what  remained  of  her. 
A  young  man  named  Richard  Thomas  Avas  burned. 
His  remains  were  found  in  the  ruins  of  R.  O'Brien V 
tavern  on  Germain  Street.  He  was  formerly  a  clerk 
in  Fitzpatrick's  warehouse.  Nelson  Street.  A  young 
man,  Robert  Fox,  belonging  to  the  Marsh  Road,  io 
known  to  have  perished  in  the  flames. 

Two  men  have  been  killed  by  the  walls  since  the 
day  of  the  fire.  The  first  accident  occurred  on  Fri- 
day afternoon,  22d  inst.,  and  was  caused  by  the  pre- 


220  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

mature  explosion  of  a  blast  while  the  post-ofBce  walls 
were  being  thiown  down.  The  victim  was  an  old 
man  named  John  A.  Anderson.  He  was  standing 
on  his  property  on  Germain  Street,  almost  two  hun- 
dred yards  away  from  where  the  explosion  took 
plaiie,  when  the  flying  bricks  struck  and  fatally 
injured  him.  He  was  taken  to  the  Public  Hospital, 
where  he  died  shortly  afterwards.  The  second  vic- 
tim Avas  George  Gallagher.  He  was  killed  on  Tues- 
day, 4th  inst.,  on  Water  Street,  a  portion  of  a  wall 
that  enclosed  the  vault  in  Messrs.  DeVeber's  store 
having  fallen  on  him,  and  inflicted  injuries  which 
resulted  fatally  a  few  hours  afterward  in  the  hos- 
pital. He  was  a  man  of  about  fifty-five  years  of  age, 
and  lived  with  his  family  in  ]\Ir.  Thomas  McPher- 
son's  house  on  Sewell  Street.  John  Ross,  a  tailor, 
who  was  badly  burned  during  the  fire,  died  in  the 
Public  Hospital.  There  are  one  or  two  others  that 
are  missing  since  the  fire,  and  it  is  supposed  they 
have  perished  in  the  flames. 

There  are  a  number  of  persons  missing,  whose 
friends  believe  they  were  killed  or  burned ;  but,  as 
there  is  an  uncertainty  about  it,  we  omit  their  names, 
lest  some  of  them  should  return  to  their  friends,  and 
claim  to  be  alive,  notwithstanding  their  death  had 
become  a  matter  of  history. 

The  numb'^T  of  injured  ones  could  not  be  safely 


THE  DEAD  AND    WOUNDED.  ,  221 

estimated,  as  there  were  liosts  of  people  more  or  less 
injured  by  the  heat,  the  crumbling  walls,  or  by  fall- 
ing from  roofs  and  windows. 

At  the  hospital  a  large  number  of  persons  received 
medical  treatment.  Many  of  them  had  only  sus- 
tained slight  injuries,  and  the  phjsician  in  charge 
did  not  have  time  to  record  their  names  on  his 
books.  There  were  several  others  who  received 
severe  injuries,  but  soon  recovered.  Indeed,  with 
but  one  or  two  exceptions,  they  were  soon  able  to 
leave  the  building.  The  names  of  those  who  stayed 
at  the  hospital  for  any  time  were  Daniel  Dooley, 
John  Ross,  Patrick  Brady,  William  Coxetter,  Wil- 
liam Donahoe,  Helen  Davidson,  Bayard  Thompson, 
Walker  Lamb  (who  was  injured  by  an  explosion  at 
the  post-office),  Andrew  Donovan,  Michael  Barrett, 
William  Porter,  Jeremiah  Sullivan,  Thomas  Sulli- 
van, Richard  Powers,  John  Anderson,  and  George 
Gallagher.  The  two  last  Avere  the  only  persons 
whose  injuries  resulted  fatally. 

Lieut.  Joseph  Ewing,  who  sustained  severe 
injuries  by  the  explosion  at  the  post-office  walls, 
was  for  a  while  confined  to  his  house.  His  in- 
juries consisted  of  bruises  on  the  head,  back,  and 
legs. 

There  were  many  women  and  little  children 
dependent  upon  the  earnings  of  the  deceased  and 


222  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN, 

the  injured,  who  were  thus  doubly  afflicted,  having 
lost  every  thing  they  possessed,  together  with  every 
possible  means  of  obtaining  more.  Sad,  sad,  sad, 
must  have  been  those  hearts,  when  they  sat  in  the 
ashes  of  their  homes,  and  wept  for  the  dead. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  AND  SHIPPING. 

Description  of  the  Public  Buildings.  —  Trinity  Church.  —  Germain- 
street  Baptist  Church.  —  Other  Church  Edifices  destroyed.  —  City 
Hall.  —  The  Custom  House.  —The  Post  Office.  —  Public  Halls.  — 
Academy  of  Music.  —  Temperance  Halls.  —  Masonic  Hall.  — 
Hotels.  — Gas  "Works.  —  Shipping  destroyed. 

"TTTHAT  an  enormous  task  the  people  have  before 
'  '  them  in  restoring  the  city  of  Saint  John  to 
its  original  condition,  especially  in  replacing  its  pub- 
lic buildings,  banks,  and  commercial  structures,  will 
be  better  understood  after  reading  the  description  of 
those  destroyed,  as  given  by  the  writer  mentioned  in 
the  last  chapter.  There  were  many  imposing  and 
richly  decorated  edifices,  which  were  the  pride  and 
ornament  of  the  city  and  Province. 

Trinity  Church  (Episcopal)  was  not  only  the  first 
church  destroyed  by  the  fire,  but  was  also  the  oldest 
church  in  the  city,  and  a  memorial  of  the  Loyalist 
colony  which  founded  the  city.  Its  corner-stone 
was  laid  by  the  first  colonial  bishop  in  1788 ;  and  the 

223 


224  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN, 

church  was  opened  on  Christmas  Day,  1791.  The 
material  was  of  wood  throughout,  and  the  edifice 
had  undergone  a  great  man}^  alterations  in  its  con- 
struction. The  spire  with  its  clock  was  a  noted  city 
mark.  The  building  had  seating  room  for  1,000  per- 
sons :  it  was  situated  about  75  feet  fro'Ji  the  Ger- 
main-street front  of  its  lot,  which  continued  up  to 
Charlotte  Street,  on  which  end  was  a  large  building 
belonging  to  the  church,  and  used  as  a  schoolhouse 
and  sabbath  school.  An  especial  interest  centred 
in  old  Trinity,  not  only  on  account  of  its  associa- 
tions, but  as  being  the  custodian  of  the  royal  arms, 
which,  with  ihe  bell  and  organ,  were  removed  into 
it  at  the  time  of  erection,  from  the  old  church  on 
Germain  Street.  Rev.  Mr.  Brigstocke  is  rector.  The 
royal  arms  and  the  communion  plate  were  saved 
from  the  fire,  principally  through  the  exertions  of 
Capt.  Frank  Hazen ;  and  the  arms  had  been  saved 
from  a  fire  in  New  York  and  Boston  before  coming 
to  St.  John.  The  church  was  insured  for  $20,000  ; 
the  Sunday  school  building,  for  $3,000 ;  the  organ, 
for  $1,000. 

St.  James  Church  (Episcopal)  was  situated  on 
Main  Street,  between  Sydney  and  Carmarthen 
Streets.  It  was  built  of  wood,  in  the  Gothic  style 
of  architecture,  in  the  year  1851,  and  could  seat 
about  500  persons.     The  cost  of  construction  was 


PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  AND  SHIPPING.  225 

$3,000.  A  schoolliousc  was  also  in  connection  with 
the  church,  and  was  situated  in  the  rear.  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Armstrong  was  rector  from  the  time  it  was 
built. 

Germain-street  Baptist  Church  fuced  on  Germain 
Street  on  the  corner  of  Queen  Street.  It  was  a 
beautiful  brick  building,  in  the  Gothic  style  of  archi- 
tecture, and  was  erected  in  1865.  The  inside  was 
tastefully  and  richly  finished,  and  the  edifice  was  one 
of  the  finest  churches  that  Saint  John  contained. 
It's  seating  capacity  w^as  TOO,  and  the  original  cost 
$21,000.  When  repaired  after  a  destructive  fire  a 
few  years  ago,  it  was  greatly  improved.  Rev.  G.  M. 
W.  Carey  is  pastor. 

The  Christian  Church,  a  small  wooden  structure, 
was  located  on  Duke  Street,  near  Sydney.  It  was 
built  in  1854,  at  a  cost  of  $5,000,  and  had  seating- 
room  for  450  persons.  The  congregation  was  not  a 
very  w^ealthy  one ;  and,  until  within  the  last  few 
years,  was  the  only  church  in  Saint  John  of  that  par- 
ticular branch  of  the  Baptist  denomination.  Elder 
George  Garraty  has  been  officiating  minister  for  the 
last  eleven  years.     It  was  insured  for  $3,500. 

Leinster-street  Baptist  Church  was  built  in  1864, 
at  a  cost  of  $12,000.  This  church  also  contributed 
towards  forming  one  of  those  modestly  beautiful  and 
tastefully  adorned  places  of  worship  which  were  a 


226  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

* 

credit  to  the  city.  It  was  built  of  wood,  and  could 
give  acconimodiition  to  GOO  persons.  Rev.  J.  D. 
Pope  was  pastor. 

St.  Andrew's  Church,  Presbyterian,  was  a  wooden 
edifice,  occupying  the  lot  next  adjoining  that  of  the 
Victoria  Hotel  on  Germain  Street.  The  venerable 
Dr.  Burns,  who  for  many  years  ministered  in  this 
church,  when  on  his  death-bed  in  Edinburgh,  ex- 
claimed, in  reference  to  the  Victoria,  ''  Dear  me ! 
St.  Andrew's  Church,  which  once  towered  far  above 
all  on  that  street,  is  now  itself  overshadowed  by  a 
mammoth  tavern  !  "  It  was  built  in  1816  ;  was  first 
opened  for  service  in  May,  1817,  by  the  above-men- 
tioned clergyman.  A  very  fine  organ  was  put  into  it 
in  18G8,  which  cost  fl,GOO.  The  building  seated 
1,000  persons.  The  Rev.  William  Mitchell,  lately 
of  Montreal,  was  pastor.  The  church  was  insured 
for  $6,000. 

St.  David's  Church,  Presbj^terian,  was  located  on 
Sydney  Street.  It  was  a  fine  wooden  edifice,  capa- 
ble of  seating  1,000  persons,  and  was  somewhat 
different  from  other  city  churches  in  its  internal 
arrangement,  being  of  circular  form.  It  was  built 
in  1848,  and  cost  $12,000.  Rev.  Dr.  Waters  was 
the  pastor. 

The  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  was  built  in 
1850,  at  a  cost  of  about  $6,000.     It  was  a  wooden 


PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  AND  SHIPPING.  227 

structure,  located  as  the  corner  of  Sydney  and 
Princess  Streets.  The  church  was  in  connection 
with  the  Reformed  Presbj^terian  Synod  of  Ireland. 
Although  the  congregation  has  been  organized  for 
the  last  thirty-six  years,  they  have  never  had  any 
other  pastor  than  the  Rev.  Alexander  McLeod 
Stavely. 

Germain-street  "Wesleyan  Methodist  Church,  built 
in  1808,  and  afterwards  altered  to  its  recent  enlarged 
size,  was  situated  on  Germain  Street,  corner  Hors- 
field  Street.  It  was  a  wooden  structure,  with  seat- 
ing-room for  900  persons.  The  entire  cost  of  the 
building  was  about  $26,000.  It  was  insured  for 
$8,000.  In  the  rear,  and  accessible  from  Ilorsfield 
Street*,  were  a  schoolroom,  vestry,  and  class-rooms. 

The  Centenary  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was 
one  of  the  most  commodious  places  of  worship  in 
the  Province,  giving  seating-room  to  1,200  people. 
It  was  erected  of  wood  in  1839,  on  one  of  the  most 
elevated  portions  of  the  city ;  and,  in  the  fall  of  its 
tower,  the  mariner  and  harbor  pilot  lost  one  of  the 
best-known  landmarks  in  the  city,  and  the  Wesleyau 
Methodist  denomination  one  of  their  most  valuable 
church  properties.  Recently  extensive  alterations 
and  repairs  were  made  upon  it.  It  was  partially 
insured.     Rev.  Howard  D.  Sprague  was  pastor. 

The   Carmarthen-street   Mission  House   was  also 


228  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

swept  away.  .The  congregation  worshipping  there 
had  commenced  a  new  church. 

A  mission-house  on  ShefiBeld  Street,  erected  a  vcdr 
and  a  half  ago  hy  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, may  be  counted  among  the  church  property. 

While  the  Catholic  Church  did  not  lose  heavily  in 
a  financial  point  of  view,  it  lost  buildings  whose  his- 
torical associations  rendered  them  dear  to  the  people 
of  that  denomination.  St.  Malachi's  Hall,  or  as  it 
has  long  been  called,  "  the  old  chapel,"  was  the  first 
Catholic  church  built  in  Saint  John.  It  was  over 
sixty  years  of  age.  Up  to  1855  it  was  the  only 
Catholic  church  in  the  city.  In  that  year  the 
cathedral  was  opened  for  divine  service.  St.  Mala- 
chi's  was  afterwards  converted  into  a  public  hall  and 
schoolhouse.  The  large  hall  had  been  used  for  tem- 
perance meetings,  school  exhibitions,  bazaars,  &c. 
The  upper  portion  has  been  used  for  schools.  A 
few  years  ago  an  ell  was  added  to  the  building. 
Temperance  and  religious  societies  met  there,  and  it 
was  utilized  for  many  purposes.  The  biulding  was 
insured  for  $9,000. 

The  old  Temperance  Hall  on  Sydney  Street  was 
built  about  1845,  when  the  temperance  movement 
was  at  its  height,  by  the  Total  Abstinence  Relief 
Society.  It  was  owned  by  the  Catholic  Church,  and 
has  been  used  as  a  schoolhouse.  It  was  insured  for 
$4,000. 


PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  AND  SHIPPING.  229 

The  dwelling-house  on  Sydney  Street,  opposite 
Orange,  also  belonged  to  the  churcQ.  It  was  occu- 
pied as  a  residence.  It  originally  cost  $8,000.  There 
was  $3,000  insurance  on  it.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact 
that  the  policy  expired  at  noon  on  the  day  of  the  fire. 

The  post-office,  of  which  Saint  John  was  proud, 
was  without  an  equal  in  point  of  beauty  in  the  Mari- 
time Provinces.  The  dimensions  were  fifty  feet  front 
on  Prince  William  Street,  and  extending  back  to 
Water  Street  ninety  feet.  The  architecture  was  a 
combination  of  the  various  orders  of  which  the  style 
denominated  "  modern  "  consists.  On  each  side  of 
and  over  the  entrances  were  sixteen  red  polished 
Bay  of  Fundy  granite  columns,  of  surpassing  beauty ; 
excepting  these,  the  building  was  entirely  composed 
of  gray  sandstone,  the  whole  material  being  the 
product  of  native  quarries.  The  building  rose  three 
stories  above  Prince  William  Street,  and  four  stories 
above  Water  Street,  with  a  mansard  roof,  surmounted 
by  a  graceful  clock-tower,  which  rose  to  an  altitude 
of  one  hundred  feet  above  Prince  William  Street,  and 
one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  above  Water  Street,  and 
from  which  an  exquisite  view  of  the  bay  and  city 
surroundings  was  obtainable.  This  superb  structure, 
which  was  an  ornament  to  the  city,  as  well  as  an 
honor  to  its  projectors,  was  erected  by  the  Dominion 
Government   at   a   cost  of  $150,000,  and  was  first 


230  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

opened  to  public  use  in  June,  1876.  When  under 
the  full  control  of  the  fire,  it  presented  a  magnificent 
spectacle. 

Next  to  the  Post-Office,  the  Custom-IIouse  was  the 
most  important  and  valuable  property  owned  in  the 
city  by  the  Dominion  Government.  It  had  a  solidly 
built  three-story  granite  front  on  Prince  William 
Street,  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  by  ninety-two 
feet  deep  towards  Water  Street,  v^hich  face  was  built 
of  brick  four  stories  high.  It  was  well  adapted  for  its 
particular  purpose,  and  compared  favorably  with  any 
similar  building  in  America.  In  it  were  the  offices 
of  the  customs,  inland  revenue,  marine  and  fishery 
department,  emigration  agent,  government  engineer, 
shipping  office,  penitentiary  office,  gas  inspector,  and 
weights  and  measures.  A  storm  signal-station  .^ave 
warning  to  those  interested,  of  the  approach  of  a 
storm ;  there  was  also  a  signal-station  on  the  roof, 
which  repeated  the  signals  given  on  Partridge  Island 
of  "vessels  in  sight,"  "pilot  wanted,"  "ship  in  dis- 
tress," &c.;  and  from  the  roof  also  a  very  fine  view 
of  the  harbor  and  scenery  could  be  secured.  The 
building  was  erected  in  1842,  by  the  late  John 
Walker,  Esq.,  at  a  cost  of  $120,000.  The  wharf  in 
rear  of  the  Custom-House,  of  which  one  was  adjunct 
to  the  other,  costing  $40,000,  was  badly  damaged 
besides.     The  combustible  nature  of  a  great  portion 


^ 


PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  AND  o HIPPING.  231 

of  the  goods  warehoused  in  the  building  tended  to 
make  its  destruction  most  complete. 

The  savings  bank  on  the  corner  of  Canterbury 
and  Princess  Streets  was  two  stotiCo  high,  built  of 
white  freestone,  and  was  as  tasteful  a  specimen  of 
the  ornate  style  of  architecture  as  Saint  John  pos- 
sessed. It  was  not  very  large,  but  admirably  ans- 
wered the  purpose  of  its  erection ;  and  was  built  in 
1859,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000,  by  the  directors  of  the 
savings  bank  under  provincial  control,  and  trans- 
mitted to  the  Canadian  Government  in  1867,  who 
thoroughly  reconstructed  the  edifice. 

The  Dominion  Government,  which  never  insured 
its  property,  lost  by  the  fire  about  8400,000. 

The  City  Corporation  was  a  heavy  loser  by  the 
fire.  Over  $60,000  worth  of  buildings  were  burned, 
and  these  were  about  half  insured.  The  City  Hall 
was  a  handsome  stone  building,  which  cost  $23,000 
when  purchased  from  the  Commercial  Bank.  Con- 
siderable money  has  since  been  spent  on  it  in  re- 
pairs. It  contained  the  offices  of  the  mayor,  common 
clerk,  chamberlain,  water  and  sewerage  commission- 
ers, clerk  to  the  assessors,  city  engineer,  and  super- 
intendent of  streets.  It  was  insured  for  $15,000. 
The  police  court  and  station  on  Chipman's  Hill  was 
insured  for  $2,000.  The  station  was  a  substantial 
brick  building ;  the  police-court  was  a  wooden  struc- 
ture. 


232  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Located  on  Prince  William  Street,  and  next 
adjoining  the  post-office,  stood  the  old  Bank  of 
New  Brunswick,  which  was  incorporated  in  1820 
This  building  had  been  in  existence  for  over  fifty 
years,  being  built  in  1826,  and  had  passed  on  to  a 
period  of  existence  later  than  was  attained  to  by 
any  of  its  founders.  The  whole  of  it  was  devoted 
to  the  exclusive  use  of  the  bank.  The  structure 
was  of  stone,  with  massive  columns  of  the  Ionic 
order. 

At  the  time  it  was  destroyed,  it  contained  over 
$30,000,000. 

The  building  of  the  Maritime  Bank,  on  Chipman's 
Hill,  adjoining  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Office, 
had  a  beautifully  cut  gray  freestone  front,  supported 
by  a  granite  basement,  and  topped  with  a  Mansard 
roof.  It  was  four  stories  high.  Besides  the  office  of 
the  Maritime  Bank,  it  contained  the  offices  of  the 
Bank  of  Nova  Scotia,  the  Bank  of  Montreal,  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Board  of  School  Trustees,  Dun,  Wy- 
man,  &  Co.'s  mercantile  agency,  and  the  Board  of 
Trade ;  also  the  offices  of  Z.  Ring,  W.  H.  Purdy, 
and  G.  Fred.  Ring.  It  was  built  in  1873,  at  a  cost 
of  $60,000. 

The  Bank  of  Nova  Scotia  was  opposite  the  Bank 
of  New  Brunswick  on  Prince  William  Street.  This 
corporation  had    only  just    purchased    the    edifice 


PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  AND  SHIPPING.  233 

known  as  "  Cushing's  Building,"  at  a  cost  of  $15,- 
000.  The  structure  was  a  plain  brick,  three  stories 
high,  and  was  being  put  under  through  renovation 
and  repairs  at  the  time  of  the  fire.  It  had  then 
received  a  mastic  coating  on  the  front.  The  office 
of  the  bank  at  time  of  the  fire  was  in  the  Maritime 
Bank  Building. 

The  Academy  of  Music,  situated  on  Germain 
Street,  between  Princess  and  Duke.  The  Academy 
was  a  building  which  the  citizens  of  Saint  John  were 
justified  in  regarding  with  pride.  The  original  inten- 
tion was  the  erection  of  a  building  that  would  cost 
about  $20,000 ;  but  after  the  act  was  passed,  incor- 
porating the  Saint  John  Academ}'-  of  Music  Com- 
pany, with  a  capital  of  $20,000,  it  was  subsequently 
amended,  and  the  capital  stock  increased  to  $30,000. 
The  gentlemen  most  energetic  in  promoting  the 
scheme  were  Drs.  Keator  and  Carritte,  and  Messrs. 
J.  W.  Beard,  Simeon  Jones,  John  Boyd,  John  Ma- 
gee,  H.  D.  Troop,  Hon.  T.  R.  Jones,  John  Guthrie, 
J.  W.  Nicholson,  T.  B.  Buxton,  J.  V.  Thurgar,  F.  P. 
Robinson,  J.  R.  Armstrong,  and  others.  The  exte- 
rior of  the  building  was  composed  of  brick ;  and  the 
dimensions  were  200  x  50  feet  10  inches.  The  front 
was  Q^  feet  high  from  the  sidewalk  to  the  top  of  the 
ornamental  work  rising  above  the  cornice,  and  was 
divided  into  three  floors  —  the  first  being  15,  the  sec- 


234  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

ond  13,  and  the  third  18  feet.  The  finish  was  Italian 
in  its  general  style ;  and  the  main  wall  of  the  front 
"was  coveied  with  a  red  mastic,  which,  with  the  brown 
sandstone  trimming,  made  a  very  pleasing  effect  to 
the  eye.  The  main  entrance  door,  13  x  17  feet, 
was  surmounted  by  a  bust  of  Shakespeare.  The 
doors  were  of  solid  walnut,  weighing  about  1,600 
pounds.  The  seating-capacity  of  the  Academy  was 
1,300,  but  it  would  hold  1,500.  The  first  floor,  or 
parquette,  was  furnished  with  opera  chairs.  The 
number  of  chairs  was  540.  The  balcony,  or  first 
gallery,  would  seat  about  400  persons.  The  second 
gallery  had  a  separate  entrance  and  ticket-office. 
Three  proscenium  boxes,  one  above  the  other,  on 
each  side  of  the  stage,  accommodated  five  persons 
each.  The  cost  of  erection  was  over  ^50,000,  on 
which  there  was  an  insurance  of  only  $12,000.  The 
last  chosen  Board  of  Directors  was  as  follows:  Dr. 
Ring,  President;  Messrs.  Dr.  Stei^ves,  John  Boyd, 
John  Guthrie,  and  James  I.  Fellows;  J.  R.  Arm- 
strong, Secretary. 

The  Dramatic  Lyceum  was  a  building  on  the 
south  side  of  King's  Square.  It  was  erected  some 
twenty  years  ago  by  Mr.  J.  W.  Lanergan,  who  was 
determined  to  furnish  a  suitable  place  for  theatrical 
representations. 

The  "  Opera  House  "  had  its  location  on  Dock 


PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  AND  SHIPPING.  235 

Street.  It  was  built  by  Otis  Small,  Esq.,  in  1871, 
and  was  eighty-three  feet  front,  and  three  stories 
high  above  Dock  Street,  which  was  equal  to  five 
stories  in  the  rear.  The  front  was  covered  with 
mastic,  and  showed  Gothic  windows.  The  lower 
floor  was  occupied  ar.  stores ;  and  the  whole  of  the 
upper  portion  was  thrown  into  a  high  and  spacious 
hall,  with  roof  supported  by  arches  resting  on  col- 
umns, on  which  the  galleries  also  rested.  The  sit- 
tings would  accommodate  about  a  thousand  persons. 

The  Victoria  Hotel  was  situated  on  the  corner  of  . 
Germain  and  Duke  Streets,  and  was  a  magnificent 
square  structure  of  brick,  covered  with  mastic ;  was 
five  stories  high  above  the  basement,  covered  over 
10,000  square  feet  of  ground,  and  was  acknowledged 
to  be  the  finest  hotel  in  the  Dominion,  both  in  its 
extent  and  equipment.  The  edifice  was  principally 
in  the  Italian  style  of  architecture.  The  basement 
was  of  dressed  granite.  Porticos  were  attached  over 
the  Germain  and  Duke  Street  entrances :  these  two 
facings,  with  their  pediment  window-caps  and  the 
heavy  projecting  cornice,  gave  the  exterior  a  fine 
and  imposing  effect,  while  the  great  height  of  the 
building  made  it  tower  up  conspicuously  over  all 
surrounding  objects.  The  building's  capacity  al- 
lowed accommodation  for  over  300  guests,  and  its 
management  required  the  services  of  200  employees- 


236  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

during  the  Fummer  season.  The  hall  was  40  x  20 
feet,  and  the  vestibule  20  x  15  feet,  the  floors  of  which 
were  inlaid  with  marble.  The  dining-room,  40  x  GO 
feet,  was  elaborately  elegant,  and  could  seat  200  per- 
sons. The  public  parlor,  on  the  second  floor,  was 
19  X  100  feet ;  and  private  parlors  with  bed-rooms 
attached  were  numerous ;  while  all  the  rooms  were 
large,  airy,  and  magnificently  furnished,  and  fitted 
with  all  modern  acquisitions  of  hotel  luxury.  The 
sleeping-apartments  included  232  rooms,  irrespective 
of  private  suites  of  chambers.  The  whole  number 
of  guest-rooms  was  200.  Water  was  introduced 
into  every  room.  A  steam  elevator  gave  conveyance 
from  one  floor  to  the  other ;  and  the  building  was 
heated  by  steam  throughout,  the  rooms  being  pro- 
vided with  grates  also.  The  whole  cost  of  the 
building  was  $165,000,  and  the  furnishing  about 
865,000.  The  former  was  insured  for  $70,000,  and 
the  latter  for  $30,000. 

The  Royal  Hotel  was  situated  on  Prince  William 
Street,  directly  opposite  the  Custom  House,  and  was 
formerly  known  as  Stubbs'  Hotel.  It  was  a  three- 
story  wooden  building,  and  a  popular  resort  for 
strangers. 

Barnes'  Hotel  was  a  large  three-story  brick  build- 
ing, with  mastic  front. 

Saint  John  Hotel  was  situated  on  the  corner  of 


PUBLTC  BUILDINGS  AND  SHIPPING.  287 

King  and  Charlot».3  Streets,  and  in  former  times 
was  the  "  Victoria  "  of  the  city,  —  the  centre  for  all 
important  gatherings,  the  colonial  governor's  head- 
quarters when  he  visited  Saint  John,  the  scene  of 
festivities,  balls,  and  official  dinners.  The  Masonic 
Order  held  lodge-meetings  therein. 

Among  the  other  hotels  destroyed  were  the  Bay 
View,  Acadia  Hotel,  Fisher  House,  Gordon  House, 
Isbister  House,  Boston  House,  and  other  lesser 
establishments. 

The  Wiggins  Orphan  Asylum  was  a  splendid 
edifice  on  St.  James  Street,  erected  through  the 
munificence  of  Stephen  Wiggins,  Esq.,  at  a  very 
heavy  cost.  It  had  been  in  operation  only  a  brief 
period. 

The  Protestant  Orphan  Asylum  was  a  brick  build- 
ing, situated  on  the  corner  of  Carmarthen  and 
Britain  Streets. 

The  Masonic  fraternity  occupied  the  front  portion 
of  the  upper  story  of  a  building  on  Princess  Street, 
where  there  were  two  lodge-rooms  and  several  ante- 
rooms, whilst  the  encampments  of  Knights  Templaii 
and  the  bodies  of  the  Ancient  and  Accepted  Scottish 
Rite  had  their  ante-rooms,  armories,  &c.,  on  the  story 
below.  For  nearly  twenty-one  years  this  building 
was  the  headquarters  of  Freemasonry  in  New  Bruns- 
wick, the  craft  having  previously  held  its  meetings 


238  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

in  Marshairs  Building,  corner  Princess  and  Charlotte 
Streets,  which  also  fell  a  victim  to  the  fire.  On 
Sept.  24,  1856,  the  late  Grand  Master  Keith  of 
Halifax,  then  Provincial  Grand  Master  of  Nova 
Scotia  and  New  Brunswick,  dedicated  the  hall  to 
Freemasonry. 

Not  a  thing  in  the  room  was  saved.  All  the  valu- 
able treasures  were  burned.  The  societies  burned 
out  were,  — 

Albion  Lodge ;  Saint  John  Lodge ;  ITibernia 
Lodge ;  Union  Lodge  of  Portland ;  New  Brunswick 
Lodge  ;  Leinster  Lodge  ;  Carleton  Royal  Arch  Chap- 
ter; New  Brunswick  Royal  Arch  Chapter;  Saint 
John's  Council  Royal  and  Select  Masters;  New 
Brunswick  Council  Royal  ana  Select  Masters;  Moore 
Conclave  Knights  R.  C.  of  Rome  and  Constantino ; 
Encampment  of  Saint  John,  Knights  Templars ; 
Union  De  Molay  Encampment,  Knights  Templars ; 
Harington  Lodge  of  Perfection,  A.  i&  A.  Rite ; 
Harington  Chapter,  Rose  Croix,  A.  &  A.  Rite ;  The 
Royal  Order  of  Scotland ;  New  Brunswick  Consist- 
ory S.  P.  R.  S.,  32°. 

The  Grand  Lodge  of  New  Brunswick  was  also  a 
heavy  loser,  as  its  valuables,  together  with  all  of  the 
books,  —  and  there  were  many  rare  and  curious  ones, 
—  were  destroyed.  Indeed,  so  complete  was  the 
destruction,  that  not  even  a  copy  of  the  proceedings 
of  Grand  Lodge  was  to  be  found. 


PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  AND  SniPPIfiiG.  239 

The  buildings  in  which  the  following  societies  held 
their  meetings  were  also  destroyed ;  viz.,  Sons  of 
Temperance,  United  Temperance  Association,  Good 
Templars,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Temple  of  lienor, 
Orange  Lodges,  Irish  Friendly  Society,  Shipwrights' 
Union,  and  the  Odd  Fellows ;  the  latter  liaving  an 
encampment  and  three  lodges  burned  out,  and  their 
furniture,  organs,  regalia,  &c.,  destroyed. 

The  gas-works  and  wharves  were  destroyed,  with  a 
loss  that  cannot  safely  be  estimated,  as  the  property 
was  of  such  a  nature  that  more  or  less  of  it  was 
saved,  although  the  necessary  loss  was  very  great. 

The  vessels  destroyed  were  those  lying  in  the 
Market  Slip.  They  were  unable  to  move  out ;  and 
their  owners  were  obliged  to  stand  by  and  see  the 
earnings  of  a  lifetime  swept  away  in  a  moment.  The 
vessels  burned  were,  — 

The  schooner  "Angie  Russell,"  25  tons,  hailing 
from  Canning,  N.S.  She  had  discharged  a  cargo  of 
fish.     Owned  and  commanded  by  Capt.  Boylan. 

The  schooner  "Brill,"  74  tons,  owned  by  the 
McSherry  estate.  Saint  John.  She  had  on  board  the 
balance  of  a  cargo  from  Boston  for  Fredericton. 

The  schooner  "  Brilliant  "  was  a  fishing- vessel  of 
18  tons,  owned  and  commanded  by  Capt.  Patch  of 
Campobello. 

The  schooner  "  Bear  River,"  37  tons,  was  owned  in 


240  G^EAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Bear  River,  N.S.,  by  Capt.  Winchester  and  others. 
She  had  an  outward  bound  car^o. 

The  schooner  "  Eila  ?.,"  23  tons,  hailing  from  Bar- 
rington,  N.S.,  and  owned  and  commanded  by  Capt. 
Thurber,  had  a  cargo  of  fish. 

The  schooner  "  Eliza  Jane,"  27  tons,  hailing  from 
Bay  Shore,  N.S.,  had  a  cargo  of  salt.  Vessel  owned 
and  commanded  by  Capt.  Bent.  . 

The  schooner  '*L.  L.  Wadsworth,"  of  Westport, 
N.S.,  was  a  little  fishing-schooner  of  12  tons,  ovvTied 
by  Capt.  Brovv^n,  and  was  loaded  with  fish. 

The  schooner  '•'  Lily,"  of  Weymouth,  N.S.,  was  of  8 
tons  register ;  was  owned  and  commanded  by  Capt. 
Israel. 

The  schooner  "  Martha  Rowan,"  25  tons,  belong- 
ing to  Westport,  had  a  cargo  of  codfish.  Capt.  Peters 
was  master  and  owner. 

The  schooner  "  Parrot,"  27  tons,  hailed  from  Saint 
George,  N.B.,  and  was  commanded  by  Capt.  Hutton. 
She  had  a  full  cargo,  including  a  piano. 

The  schooner  "  Star,"  13  tons,  Capt.  Benson,  hailed 
from  Westport,  and  had  a  cargo  of  fish. 

The  wood-boat  "Burnett,"  46  tons,  Capt.  Reed; 
wood-boat  "  Linda,"  26  tons ;  wood-boat  "  Messen- 
ger," 33  tons  ;  wood-boat  "  President,"  46  tons,  Capt. 
Orchard,  were  all  loaded  with  cord-wood. 

Four  scows  —  two  of  them  owned  by  Mr.  Raynes 


PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  AND  SHIPPING.  241 

of  Fairville,  and  two  by  Mr.  Joseph  Armstrong  — 
were  also  destroyed. 

The  schooner  "  Justice,"  of  Westport,  was  badly 
burned,  but  was  hauled  out  in  time  to  prevent  total 
destruction. 

The  schooner  "  George  Calhoun,"  lying  in  Walk- 
er's Slip,  had  her  mainmast  burned.  Other  vessels 
also  received  slight  damage. 

The  total  value  of  vessels  and  cargoes  was  about 
$40,000. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

FRIENDS    IN    NEED. 

First  Assurances  of  Help. —The  Liberality  of  the  People. —Tele- 
grams I'rom  Cities  in  America  and  Europe.  —  Returning  Past 
Kindnesses.  —  The  Behavior  of  the  Recipients.  —  List  of  Contrib- 
utors. —  The  Amounts  given  and  received.  —  How  Chicago, 
Boston,  and  London  responded,  —  Other  Cities  and  Towns. 

rr^HE  generous  and  hearty  manner  in  which  the 
cities  of  Enghmd,  the  United  States,  and  the 
Dominion,  hurried  forward  supplies  for  the  suffering 
people  of  Saint  John  will  never  cease  to  awaken 
thankfulness  in  the  hearts  of  the  recipients,  and  will 
serve  to  bind  the  English-speaking  people  of  the 
earth  closer  in  bonds  of  Christian  fellowship.  For 
when  the  half-clad,  starving  people,  actually  without 
food  for  another  meal,  could  see  no  Avay  out  of  the 
pit  of  despair  into  which  they  had  so  suddenly  fallen, 
and  when  homeless  ones  wandered  about  their  heaps 
of  ashes,  half  longing  for  death,  then,  almost  as  soon 
as  the  wires  told  that  a  fire  was  raging,  the  kind- 

242 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED.  243 

hearted  people  in  distant  countries  and  states  sent 
words  of  sympathy,  accompanied,  as  all  true  sympathy 
is  accompanied,  with  remittances  of  money,  food,  and 
clothing.  Oh,  it  was  a  grand  and  noble  exhibition 
of  human  kindness !  It  was  noble  because  it  came 
from  honest,  sincere  friends.  It  was  grand  because 
such  acts  toward  such  a  deserving  people  show  the 
latent  power  which  rests  in  union  of  states  and  na- 
tions, and  bring  nearer  that  great  day  when  the  sym- 
pathy of  the  world  will  be  all  the  insurance  men  will 
need.  North,  South,  East,  and  West  sent  messages 
of  good  cheer,  bidding  the  saddened  populace  to  take 
courage,  for  help  was  at  hand.  It  would  be  utterly 
impossible  to  mention  in  a  book  of  this  size  all  the 
acts  of  kindness  done  by  strangers,  or  to  enumerate 
the  names  of  donors.  It  was  so  universal,  so  sponta- 
neous, that  we  can  only  outline  it.  Would  that  all 
those  messages  of  love  could  be  written  in  letters 
of  living  light,  so  high  and  so  conspicuous  that  all 
nations  could  read  them,  and  profit  thereby !  From 
the  noblest  sovereign  which  England  ever  had,  from 
titled  lords,  members  of  Parliament,  members  of 
Congress,  mayors  of  cities,  and  numerous  individuals, 
came  the  despatches  showing  that  the  industrious, 
peaceful  citizens  of  that  city  had  friends  all  over 
the  world,  who  were  thinking  of  them,  and  desired 
to  help  them.     These  notifications  and  queries  were 


244  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

sent  to  the  lieutenant-governor,  to  the  mayor,  to  the 
chief  engineer,  to  the  chief  of  police,  to  the  United 
States  consul,  to  members  of  the  city  government, 
to  well-known  merchants,  to  ship-owners,  and  to 
many  others ;  and,  as  no  one  had  been  at  that  early 
hour  selected  to  receive  the  unexpected  contribu- 
tions, the  shipment  of  supplies  was  made  to  a  vast 
number  of  different  persons.  Thus  did  Saint  John 
find  a  fitting  return  for  her  great  liberality  and 
charity  when  Chicago,  Boston,  Quebec,  and  many 
other  cities  were  in  a  like  extremity. 

We  insert  here  a  number  of  the  messages  verbatim, 
in  order  to  convey  to  the  reador  a  more  correct  idea 
of  that  outburst  of  sympathy  than  any  language  but 
their  own  could  convey. 

Her  Majesty  Queen  Victoria  sent  the  following, 
which  was  received  by  the  people  with  marked  feel- 
ings of  thankfulness  and  respect :  — 

I  am  commanded  by  the  Queen  to  express  the 
great  sorrow  with  which  she  has  heard  of  the  ter- 
rible calamity  that  has  befallen  the  city  of  Saint 
John,  and  her  Majesty's  sympathy  for  the  sufferers. 

A.  Mackenzie. 

Fbedebicton,  June  21. 
To  Mayor  Earlk. 

Relief  committees  organized ;  propose  sending  spe- 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED,  245 

cial  train,  with  provisions  to-night :  will  wire  you 
when  train  leaves. 

E.  L.  Wetmore,  Chairman, 

Portland,  Me.,  June  21. 
To  THE  Mayor  op  Saint  John. 

Shall  forward  you  on  behalf  of  our  citizens,  by 

this  evening's  steamer,  all  the  cooked  provisions  and 

hard  bread  we  could  gather.     Please  telegraph  me 

what  you  need  most,  —  whether  provision,  blankets, 

and  the  like,  or  money, 

M.  M.  Butler,  Mayor, 

Toronto,  June  21. 
To  THE  President  of  the  Board  of  Trade. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Commercial  Exchange  to-day, 
the  following  resolution  was  proposed  and  carried: 
moved  by  W.  H.  Rowland,  and  seconded  by  Mr. 
Worts,  *'  That  the  members  of  this  association  de- 
sire to  express  their  earnest  and  heartfelt  sympathy 
with  the  people  of  Saint  John,  who  have  suffered 
from  the  disastrous  fire  in  their  city,  and  express 
their  willingness  to  aid  and  assist  the  ruined  and 
homeless  sufferers  by  that  calamity."  You  are 
hereby  authorized  to  draw  upon  me  at  sight  for 
$600,  to  be  distributed  for  the  benefit  of  the  desti- 
tute sufferers.  Robert  Spratt. 


246  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

New  York,  June  21. 
To  C.  U.  Hanford. 

The  "  Flamborough's "  sailing  is  postponed  till 
the  26th  for  supplies.  Notify  the  merchants.  The 
freight  is  uncharged. 

A.  E.  OUTERBRIDGE. 

Toronto,  June  21. 
To  President  of  the  Board  of  Trade. 

Draw  at  sight  for  $1,000,  probably  mere  to  follow, 

in  aid  of  the  suffering. 

A.  M.  Smith,  President  Board  Trade, 

Ottawa,  June  21. 
To  Mayor  Earle. 

Tents  from  Halifax  and  Quebec  have  been  ordered 

at  once.     The  HaUfax  train  to-night  is  ordered  to 

wait  for  them,  so  as  to  have  them  in  Saint   John 

to-morrow  morning.     Application  for  assistance  will 

be  considered  by  the  government  immediately,  and 

I  will  wire  you   to-morrow  morning.      This   is  an 

unprecedented  calamity  lor  New  Brunswick,  which 

is  painful   to  think  of.      Wiie  for   any  thing  you 

think  I  can  do  for  you. 

Isaac  Burpee. 

.  Montreal,  June  21. 

To  THE  Mayor  of  St.  John. 

You  will  have  received  by  this  time  a  message 

from  the  mayor  of  Montreal,  informing  you  that  a 

train-load  of  provisions  leaves  Montreal  tLis  evening. 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED.  247 

and  will  be  pushed  through  hy  every  po  exer- 

tiou,  so  as  to  arrive  at  Saint  John  at  iho  e.  lest  pos- 
sible moment.  The  contents  of  the  train  will  be 
delivered  on  your  order,  and  I  have  given  directions 
that  delivery  is  to  be  made  at  whatever  hour  of  the 
night  it  may  arrive.  Mr.  Luttrell  will  advise  \o\x 
of  the  probable  arrival  of  the  train ;  and,  if  you  will 
give  the  necessary  orders  for  its  delivery,  the  con- 
tents will  be  distributed  the  moment  the  train  ar- 
rives. C.  J.  Brydges. 

Montreal,  June  21. 
To  S.  Z.  Earle,  Mayor. 

Relief  committee  forwarded  to  you  to-night,  will 
be  in  Saint  John  to-morrow  night,  special  train  of 
provisions :  — 

1,000  barrels  fiour,  100  barrels  beef,  100  barrels 
pork,  150  barrels  corn-meal,  150  barrels  oatmeal,  and 
a  car-load  each  of  bread  and  biscuit.  This  is  to  be 
distributed  by  your  relief  committee. 

J.  L.   BeAUDRY,  3Iayor. 

Manchester^  Eng.,  June  21. 
To  Daniel  &  Boyd,  St.  John. 

Draw  on  us  for  one  hundred  pounds  for  relief  of 

sufferers.         Much  sympathy,  McLaren. 

Manchester,  Eng.,  June  21. 
To  Daniel  &  Boyd,  St.  John. 

Sony  for  your  calamity.     Can  I  do  any  thing  for 

you  ?  Oram. 


248  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Cognac,  France. 
To  KiNNEAR  Brothers. 

Subscribe  two  hundred  dollars  to  relief  fund. 

George  Sayer  &  Co. 

London,  via  Halifax,  June  22. 
Dr.  Bayard. 

Deep  sympathy  with  you  and  all  sufferers.     Draw 

on  me  in   New  York   for  f2t50   to   relieve   distress 

according  to  your  judgment. 

John  T.  Lord. 

PiCTOU,  N.S.,  June  22. 
W.  C.  Watsox,  St.  John. 

New  Caledonia  Club  sympathizes  with  their 
friends  and  your  city  in  your  awful  calamity,  and 
send  to  j^our  care,  by  to-day's  express,  provisions  and 
clothing  for  the  destitute.  The  town  sends  to-mor- 
row. Daniel  T.  Hislop. 

Five  barrels  of  flour  were  received  by  Mr,  S.  T. 
King  from  Jj^mes  A.  Lee,  Calais,  Me.,  for  the 
sufferers.  They  were  handed  over  to  the  Relief 
Committee. 

Hon! ton's  contribution  was  a  good  one.  Mr.  John 
Mf  « aster  of  that  place,  who  was  in  town,  left  $250 
in  I  ash  with  Rev.  Dr.  Maclise,  and  $60.60  in  goods 
from  the  people  of  Houlton,  for  Saint  John's  suffer- 
ing citizens. 


FRIENDS   IN  NEED.  2  4 'J 

R.  S.  Mackintosh,  produce-merfhant,  writing  to 
J.  S.  Turner,  made  the  following  offer :  ^'  Use  8~>0  in 
any  way  you  think  advisable  to  relieve  the  sufferers." 

Bathurst,  June  23. 

Bathurst  will  forward  contribution  to  your  relief 
committee ;  $400  were  subscribed  at  meeting  last 
evening ;  first  instalment  by  to-day's  train. 

K.  F.  Burns. 

Toronto,  June  23. 
To  Mayor  Saint  John. 

Let  me   know   certain,   to-night,  what  yoi*  most 

need  in  new  clothing,  household  goods,  or  any  thing 

that  this  city  can  supply  to  help  you,  and  there  will 

be  immediate  response.     Outside  many  subscriptions. 

David  Cowan,   Chairman  of  Citizens, 

Bowmansville,  Ont,,  June  23. 
To  Mayor  of  Saint  John. 

Our  company  will  send  fifty  bedsteads  and  chairs 

for  benefit  of  sufferers :  will  they  be  of  any  benefit  ? 

F.  F.  MacArthur, 

Manager  Upper  Canada  Furniture  Co, 

Detroit,  Mich.,  June  23. 
Hon.  S.  L.  Tilley,  Lieut. -Gov.  of  Neto  Brunswick. 

National  Division  S.  of  T.,  North  America,  in  an- 

nual  assembly,  extends  you  and  citizens  of  Saint  John 

assurance  of  sincere  sympathy  in  this  hour  of  trial, 


250  GREAT  FJRE   IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

and  in  event  of  funds  being  necessary  for  relief  of 
distress,  draw  on  National  Division  for  1300  as  a  first 
instalment.  Louis  Wagner,  M.  TF.  P, 

Sa^iuel  W.  Hodges,  M.  TF.  Scribe. 

Chicago,  June  23. 
To  Mayor  Earle. 

The  Produce  Exchange  of  the  city  has  deposited 

with  the  Bank  of  Montreal  to  your  credit  $1,000. 

John  C.  Cowles,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

Chicago,  Jime  23. 
To  Dr.  Earle,  Mayor. 

The  committee  of  the  Board  of  Trade  have  col- 
lected from  members  over  85,000,  and  now  at  your 
credit  with  Bank  of  Montreal.     We  are  collecting. 

W.  Richardson,  Chairman, 

London,  Juue  22. 
To  His  Honor  Gov.  Tilley. 

Please  cable  immediately,  whether  fire  caused  great 
distress  among  poor;  whether  circumstances,  suf- 
ferers, and  extent  of  calamity,  render  assistance 
abroad  necessary.  Rose. 

Bangor,  Me.,  June  23. 
Park  A.  Melville,  Daily  Telegraph. 

Let  me  know,  soon  as  possible,  what  is  most  needed 

by  the  Knights  of  Pythias  burned  out. 

A.  F.  Snow,  D,  D,  Grand  Chancellor^ 

Noremhega  Lodge^  K,  of  P. 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED.  251 

MoNCTON,  Jane  23. 
To  William  Elder. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  employees  of  the  mechani(!al 

department  of  the  railway  in  Moncton  on  Saturday, 

they  voted  unanimously  to  give  one  day's  pay  to  the 

sufferers  by  the  late  fire  in  Saint  John. 

Montreal,  June  25. 
To  JoHX  Boyd. 

St.  Andrew's  Church,  Church  of  Scotland,  collected 
impromptu  yesterday  over  $250  for  the  sufferers. 
We  think  of  sending  it  chiefly  in  made-up  clothing. 
Can  you  suggest  any  thing  better  ?  Would  you  under- 
take distribution  among  most  necessitous  ? 

Andrew  McLean, 
Rev.  Gavin  Laing. 

Boston,  June  25. 
To  J.  E.  Irvine,  President  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

We  send  clothing  for  distribution  among  sufferers ; 

draw  on  us  also  for  $100. 

George  A.  Miner, 

President  Boston  Y.  M.  C.  A, 

Toronto,  June  25. 
To  Stewart  &  Whits. 

Would  100  good  common  bedsteads  be  accepted 

from  us  for  the  deserving  poor  ?   Grand  Trunk  carry 

free.     Answer.  R.  Hay  &  Co. 


252  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Glasgow,  Juno  23. 
Daniel  &  Boyd,  St.  John,  N.B. 

Deep    sympathy.      Lord    provost    calls    meeting 

Thursday,  to  give  it  expression. 

WiLLLAJki  McLaken  &  Sons,  Glasgow. 

Boston,  June  25. 
To  George  E.  Sn:X)er,  Saint  John. 

I  start  for  Saint  John  this  afternoon,  on  board 
United  States  revenue  cutter  "  Gallatin,"  in  charge 
of  supplies  from  Boston  Relief  Committee.  Hope  to 
arrive  to-morrow  or  Wednesday  morning.  Inform 
mayor.  Stanttjm  Blake. 

Mr.  Snider  also  received  from  Hill  and  Berry, 
Fredericton,  $100  for  the  relief  fund. 

Toronto,  June  25. 
To  THE  Mayor  of  Saint  John. 

Please  inquire  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  if  they 

require  relief,  and  if  so  to  what  extent,  from  their 

brethien  in  Ontario ;  and  tell  them  to  communicate 

with  Dk.  John  S.  King, 

Grand  Chancellor  for  Ontario, 

Eastfobt,  June  25. 
To  the  Mayor  of  S^-int  John. 

Please  accept  for  sufferers  of  fire,  from  Boynton 

High  School,  Eastport,  $2.88. 

Hundreds  of  like  messages  crowded  the  wiies,  of 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED.  203 

which  a  partial  summary  is  added,  although  it  in- 
cludes but  a  small  proportion  of  the  whole  number 
received. 

Charlottetown  sent  word  that  she  would  raise 
$6,000,  and  advised  the  mayor  that  f 400  were  sent 
by  mail. 

D.  S.  Babcock,  president  of  the  Stonington  and 
Providence  lines,  offered  free  transportation  from  New 
York  to  Boston,  of  all  supplies  for  the  sufferers. 

A.  H.  Chandler  telegraphed  that  Dorchester  would 
send  $250  more  per  Monday's  express. 

The  Chicago  Clearing  House  Associated  Banks 
telegraphed  they  gave  $1,000  ;  the  Chicago  Produce 
Exchange,  $1,000;  and  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade 
$%000. 

Annapolis  Royal  subscribed  $1,242,  and  more  was 
coming ;  Amherst  sent  $1,100  worth  of  provisions ; 
St.  Andrews,  N.B.,  forwarded  $400,  with  offers  of 
clothing;  Sackville  sent  25  barrels  of  potatoes,  and 
15  lots  of  other  provisions. 

The  treasurer  of  the  counties  of  Leeds  and  Gren- 
ville,  Brockville,  sent  $200. 

The  mayor  of  Bath,  Me.,  said.  Draw  for  $1,000, 
contributed  by  the  citizens,  and  asked  how  $300 
additional  should  be  expended. 

The  mayor  of  Sa^iia,  Ont.,  sent  word  to  draw 
on  him  at  sight  for  5|50,  the  contribution  of  Huron 
Lodge,  No.  10,  K.  of  P. 


254  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

The  mayor  of  Brookville,  N.S.,  said,  Draw  for 
$500,  and  the  maj'or  of  Brantford  for  $1,000. 

William  Cummings  &  Son,  of  Truro,  sent  a  case 
and  parcel  of  clothing,  &c. 

A  bale  of  blankets  was  said  to  be  on  the  way  from 
D.  Mclnnes  &  Co.,  Montreal. 

J.  F.  Power  &  Co.,  Montreal,  sent  50  barrels  of 
flour. 

Canning,  N.S.,  sent  a  check  for  1271.90 ;  the 
Union  Bank  of  Prince  Edward  Island,  $5,000  ;  and 
the  Amherst  relief  fund,  $500  on  account. 

Notice  was  received  that  the  following  had  been 
sent,  via  the  Intercolonial  Il.R.,  from  the  military 
district  stores  at  Quebec  :  372  circular  tents,  7  mar- 
quee hospital  tents,  1,247  gray  blankets,  442  valises, 
and  a  lot  of  tent  poles,  pins,  &c. 

Joseph  Robinson  telegraphed  John  Boyd  that  Tor- 
onto donated  $70,000. 

W.  C.  Finlay,  Hamilton  Board  of  Trade,  sent  the 
mayor  $1,000  cash. 

Treasurer  of  Union  Stock  Yards,  Chicago,  111., 
sent  mayor  $1,200. 

James  Goldie,  Guelph,  authorized  Rev.  Mr.  Mitch- 
ell to  draw  on  him  for  $100  to  assist  homeless. 

Imperial  Insurance  Company,  London,  authorized 
mayor  and  W.  Elder  to  draw  at  sight  for  X500. 

Maiden,  of  Pembroke,  Ont.,  authorized  draft  foi 
$300. 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED.  255 

Mayor  Prince  of  Boston  telegraphed  to  Mayor 
Earle  to  draw  immediately  for  $5,000. 

Isaac  Burpee  telegraphed  to  the  mayor  that  the 
Dominion  Government  would  advance  $20,000  for 
food  and  clotlung. 

T.  Williams,  accoutant  railway,  Prince  Edward 
Island,  telegraphed  mayor  that  tlie  railway  employees 
had  raised  $700  for  sufferers  of  Saint  Jolm.  *'  Draw 
immediately." 

F.  B.  Edgecombe,  Fredericton,  telegraphed  to  the 
mayor  that  Fredericton  had  sent  a  further  gift  of  two 
car-loads  of  cooked  provisions  and  700  loaves,  and 
second  load  would  be  sent  ar  o.  ce. 

Brown,  collector.  North  S}dney,  telegraphed  that 
S.  T.  Robiiison  of  Toronto  Coal  Co.  offered  150  tons 
coal. 

.  E.  A.  Barnard,  Calais  and  St.  Stephen,  telegraphed 
Samuel  T.  King  that  he  had  forwarded  two  barrels 
of  good  hams  to  him  for  the  sufferers. 

A.  J.  Drexel,  treasurer,  Phihidelphia,  telegraphed 
to  the  mayor  to  draw  at  once  for  $3,000.  "  More 
coming." 

Mayor  Waller,  Ottawa,  telegraphed  to  mayor  to 
draw  for  $2,000. 

Angus  Morrison,  mayor  of  Toronto,  telegraphed 
mayor  to  draw  from  ten  to  twenty  thousand  dollars, 
as  needed,  and  that  his  council  would  meet  forthwith 


256  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

to  make  a  grant.  According  to  Joseph  IloLinsoii's 
telegram  to  Jolin  Boyd,  the  grant  made  was  '^170,000. 

Collector  Bowen,  Sydney,  C.B.,  requested  the 
mayor  to  draw  $400  through  Bank  of  Nova  Scotia. 

John  B.  McLean,  New  York,  offered  assistance, 
and  asked  what  was  most  needed. 

Thus  th(;y  came  from  all  directions  and  in  all 
forms,  as  will  he  more  fully  seen  by  consulting  the 
list  which  we  print  at  the  end  of  this  chapter.  The 
cities  of  Chicago  and  Boston  were  esj)ecially  gener- 
ous, the  latter  sending  f  50,000  ;  and  tlieir  contril)U- 
tions,  together  with  all  the  offerings  from  the  United 
States,  were  received  with  especial  thankfulness  hy 
the  p(^ople.  A  resolution  passed  hy  the  Episcopal 
Synod  of  Fredcricton  very  fittingly  expressed  the 
feeling  of  the  citizens  of  the  Provinces,  and  will 
serve  as  an  illustration  :  — 

*^  Resotiul,  Tlijit  tho  I^)rd  Binhop  of  Fnidericton,  to^ethor 
witli  th(^  clcr^'y  and  lay  m(;riilK;r8  of  the  Chuicli  of  England, 
now  in  .synod  assembled,  d<',sire  to  i)lace  on  record  an  expres- 
sion of  tiieir  warmest  Hym[)atliy  with  those  who  have  suffered 
from  th<?  late  disastroiiH  fire  in  the  city  of  Saint  John.  They 
deeply  n^gret  the  loss  incurred  hy  their  fellow-churchmen  ia 
the  parishes  of  Trinity  and  St.  James,  by  the  destruction  of 
their  churches,  and  especially  that  of  Trinity  Church,  one  of 
th''  oldest  in  tins  diocoso.  The  members  of  this  synod  desire 
also  to  ackiiiovvled','e  with  deep  gratitude  to  Almi^'lity  Cod,  tho 
comiara'vely  siDull  loss  of  life,  and  tho  prompt  and  generous 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED.  257 

aid  to  the  relief  of  the  sufferers  from  various  cities  in  tliis 
Domitiion,  as  well  as  from  England  and  elsewiierc,  anrl  jm*- 
emineiitly  from  so  many  portions  of  the  United  States." 

The  people  of  Chicago  could  not  forget  the  kind- 
ness of  their  brothers  in  Saint  John,  and  were 
aroused  to  action  hy  such  paragraphs  as  this  in  their 
daily  pai)ers :  — 

"  Our  friends  of  ?^aint  John,  N.T5.,  are  in  sore 
trouble.  A  fire  more  ruinous  to  their  city  than  tlie 
great  fire  was  to  Chicago,  because  a  far  greater  pro- 
portion of  it  is  in  ashce,  has  left  thousands  of  them 
within  sight  of  actual  starvation.  When  Chicago 
was  burned,  the  citizens  of  Saint  John  contributed 
ten  thouitand  dollarn  to  feed  and  shelter  our  scorched 
and  scattered  people.  If  we  fail  to  return  that 
money,  with  interest,  and  with  the  addition  also  of 
a  tlKirdi: -offering  to  God  for  our  own  restored  pros- 
perity, wo  are  not  tno  people  they  took  us  to  be, 
when,  in  our  sore  distress,  they  sent  us  their  gener- 
ous gift." 

Tlie  inhabitants  of  Boston,  too,  remembered  Saint 
John's  proffered  liberality,  and  returned  it  in  a  man- 
ner becoming  an  honest  and  generous  community. 
The  following  item  in  a  Saint  John  paper  tells 
in  wliat  manner  Boston  resp(jnded  t*^'  the  call  for 
aid:  — 

**  I'he  American  revenue  cutter  *  Gallatin  '  arrived 


258  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOfTN. 

here  yesterday  afternoon,  on  her  second  trip,  with 
supplies  for  the  sufferers  by  the  late  fire,  from  Bos- 
ton, Mass.  The  '  Gallatin '  came  to  anchor  off  Reed's 
Point  about  four  o'clock,  where  she  was  boarded  by 
the  harbor-master,  and  brought  into  the  wharf  that 
is  used  by  the  '  Empress.'  As  soon  as  she  was  se- 
curely moored  to  the  wharf,  the  large  number  of 
people  who  had  gathered  together  to  witness  her 
arrival  gave  three  ringing  cheers  for  *  the  steamer 
'^'  Gallatin  "  and  our  kind  friends  in  Boston.'  Shortly 
after  her  arrival,  Mayor  Earle,  accompanied  by  some 
of  the  relief  committee,  were  actively  at  work  con- 
veying the  stores  to  the  Rink,  where  they  will  be 
added  to   the    common   store." 

The  interest  awakened  in  London  by  the  great 
calamity  was  exceedingly  complimentary  to  both 
cities,  —  the  one  for  deserving,  and  the  other  .for 
unselfish  bestowing.  A  statement  appeared  in  the 
London  papers,  June  28,  signed  by  the  Honorable 
Secretary  and  Honorable  Cashier,  as  follows  :  — 

"  The  Lord  Mayor,  in  view  of  the  recent  calami- 
tous fire  at  Saint  John,  N.B.,  by  which  disaster, 
according  to  official  advices  just  received,  12,000 
people  have  become  destitute,  and  property  of  the 
value  of  f  12,000,000  has  been  destroyed,  and  at  the 
request  of  an  influential  deputation,  will  be  glad  to 
receive  at  the  Mansion  House  funds  in  aid  of  the 
iufferers. 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED.  259 

"  The  following  bankers  will  also  receive  subscrip- 
tions :  viz.,  Messrs.  Glyn,  Mills,  &  Co.,  bankers  to 
the  fund ;  Messrs.  Williams,  Deacon,  &  Co. ;  the 
London  and  Westminster  Bank,  the  Union  Bank  of 
London,  the  Bank  of  Montreal,  and  the  Bank  of 
British  North  America. 

"  The  distribution  of  the  fund  will  be  intrusted  to 
the  lieutenant-governor  of  New  Brunswick,  the 
mayor  of  Saint  John,  and  the  president  of  the  Board 
of  Trade,  with  power  to  associate  any  other  gentle- 
men to  aid  them  in  their  work." 

And  over  two  thousand  pounds  was  at  the  same 
time  acknowledged. 

We  give  here  the  entire  list  of  contributions 
received  up  to  July  9,  following  the  fire,  which 
includes  about  one-half  of  the  actual  subscriptions, 
the  balance  of  which  was  probably  forwarded  after- 
wards. 

The  following  are  the  sums  received  in  the  order 

of  their  receipt :  — 

Sons  of  Temperance,  Detroit,  ^300;  Halifax,  $10,000;  Hali- 
fax boy,  $1.08;  Fredericton,  $8,000;  Philadelphia  Maritime 
Exchange,  $2,000;  Boston,  §5,000;  J.  H.  Rogers,  Boston,  $100; 
Chicago  Union  Stock  Yards,  $1,200;  Dominion  Government, 
$20,000;  Sarnia,  Ontario,  $1,000;  Whitby,  Ontario,  $200;  Lon- 
don, Ontario,  $5,000;  Amherst,  $1,000;  Parrsboro',  ^100;  Bosfna 
Felt  Hoofing  Co..  $100;  Imperial  Fire  Lisurance  Co.,  ^2,433.35, 
F.  Mehan,  $5;    E.  Williston,  Miramichi,  $50;    Bank  British 


260  GREAT  FIRE  IN  BAINT  JOHN. 

North  America,  82,433.35;  Chicago  Clearing  House,  ^1,000 
Bathurst,  $400;  Brantford,  Ontario,  $1,000;  Samia,  $oO 
Bath,  Me.,  $1,300;  Brockville  (Midland  counties),  $200; 
Dorchester,  $200;  Stonington  and  Providence  Line  Steamers, 
$500;  St.  Andrews,  $400;  Charlotte  town,  $0,000;  Lawrence, 
Mass.,  $465;  Portland,  Me.,  $2,000;  Moncton,  $200;  Amherst, 
$500;  Peterboro',  Ontario,  $200;  Boston,  $5,000;  Dorchester, 
$410;  Sayer&  Co.,  $200;  Toronto,  $20,000;  Chicago  Produce 
Exchange,  $1,000;  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  $5,000;  Augusta, 
Me.,  $1,000;  Canning,  N.S.,  $279.90;  Yarmouth,  N.S.,  $1,500; 
Brookville,  N.S.,  $5.23;  Annapolis,  $500;  Bell  of  Dublin, 
$486.56;  Clark,  Dodge,  &  Co.,  New  York,  $237.19;  Mrs.  M.  D. 
Smith,  Ipswich,  $25;  Sherbrooke,  Quebec,  $1,000;  St.  An- 
drews, $150;  N.  W.  Rice  &  Co.,  B»ston,  $100;  Gorham  Brad- 
ehaw,  $100;  John  Ilawson,  $5;  R.  S.  Macintosh,  $50;  St. 
George,  $200;  Joha  C.  Johnston,  $250;  Sackville,  $235; 
Newcastle  and  Douglastown,  $900;  Gait,  Ontario,  $500; 
Guelph,  Ontario,  $1,000;  North  Sydney,  C.B.,  $400;  Canada 
Screw  Co.,  Dundas,  Ontario,  $200;  Boynton  High  School, 
Eastport,  $2.38;  D.  J.  Odell,  $iO;  Hallo  well.  Me.,  $500; 
Accident  Insurance  Co.  of  Canada,  $200;  Windsor,  N.  S., 
$3,000;  Woodstock,  $200;  City  of  Lewistoa,  $500  ;  Digby,  $700; 
Aberfoye,  Ontario,  $200;  Bangor,  $7,000;  Summerside,  P.E.L, 
$1,500;  B.  Beveridge,  &  Sons,  Andover,  $100;  Bridgetown, 
$206;  Liverpool,  N.S.$,  700;  Truro  public  meeting,  $2,000; 
Palmer  &  Embury,  $50;  Brantford,  $500;  New  York,  $2,000; 
W.  C.  B.  &  G.  H.  F.  Customs,  Ottawa,  $2;  Philadelphia, 
$2,000;  St.  Thomas,  Ontario,  $500;  Bowmansville,  $300; 
Canada  Life  Insurance  Company,  $500;  New  Haven  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  $823.76;  Archibald,  New  York,  $2,000;  Capt. 
W.  G.  Grear,  Pictou,  $50;  Carletoa  County  Council,  $1,000; 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED.  261 

Caledonia  Club,  San  Francisco,  $500;  R.  J.  Uniacke,  $36.20; 
Customs  House,  Ottawa,  $150;  Ricliibucto,  $110;  G.  S.  Nut- 
XiH^y  Newton,  Mass.,  $1;  Londonderry,  N  S.,  $15;  J.  Beder, 
New  York,  $4;  Edward  Armstrong,  New  York,  $5;  Fuller  & 
Fuller,  Chicago,  $50;  Peterboro',  Ontario,  $1,000;  William 
Garringe,  Chicago,  $4.25;  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Memphis,  $300;  St. 
Catherine's,  $500;  Methodist  Congregation,  Woodstock,  $30; 
Congregational  S.  S.,  Weymouth,  $20;  Ignatius  Sargent,  Ma- 
chias.  Me.,  $25;  M.  E.  Church,  Lincoln,  Me.,  $5;  Congrega- 
tional Church,  Maiden,  Mass.,  $15.10;  Bucksport,  Me.,  $300; 
Paris,  $300;  Ila.iiilton,  Ontario,  $10,000;  Newcastle  and 
Douglastown,  $100*  Maritime  Association,  New  York,  $1,000; 
Municipality  of  Cla."k,  $400;  C.  C.  Hamilton,  Cornwallis,  $5; 
Edward  Todd  &  Co.,  $25;  Moncton,  $1,100;  Brockville,  Onta- 
rio, $500;  New  Glasgow,  N.S.,  $1,000;  Rosemond  Woollen  Co., 
Quebec,  $50;  Kingston,  Ontario,  $1,584;  Spring  Hill  Mines, 
N.S.,  $200;  Albert  Mines,  $115;  Westmoreland  Coal  Co., 
Philadelphia,  $100;  Glasgow,  Scotland,  $9,733.40;  Pictou, 
$1,000;  Welland,  Ontario,  $100;  S.  Jackson,  Sheffield,  Eng., 
$250;  North  British  and  Mercantile  Insurance  Co.,  $2,433.35; 
Bridgetown,  N.S.,  $131.19;  J.  W.  CampbeU,  Chicago,  $50 
St.  James  Church,  Orilla,  Ontario,  $20;  Annapolis,  N.S.,  $54; 
Rev.  James  McLean,  Londonderry,  N.S.,  $2;  R.  J.  Flanagan, 
Newcastle,  $5;  J.  P.  Taites,  Sussex,  $8;  Commercial  Union 
Assurance  Co.,  $2,500;  John  McDonald,  Toronto,  $400;  B.  F. 
Thurlow,  $85;  Port  Hope,  $000;  Stock  Exchange,  New  York, 
$772.50;  Gloucester,  Mass.,  $100;  Board  of  Trade,  Buffalo, 
$33208;  Buffalo  public  school  children,  $1,000;  Bay  Side,  St. 
Andrews,  $50;  Raymond  Percy,  Yarmouth,  $1;  Departmental 
Staff,  Ottawa,  $1,000;  Clerks  House  of  Commons,  Ottawa, 
^150;   Port  Hope,  Ontario,  $300;   Council  of  York  County, 


262  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Ontario,  $3,000;  Ayr,  Ontario,  ^200;  Detroit,  Mich.,  1,000 
Eliot  National  Bank,  !»>G4T;  Citizens'  Hose  Co.,  St.  Catherine's, 
Ontario,  ^200;  Shediac  Comedy  Club,  ^11;  Stonington  M.  E. 
Church,  $20;  Salem,  Mass.,  $700;  New  York  (per  British 
Consul),  $3,500;  Rev.  Canon  Carmody,  Windsor,  $10;  Port  La 
Tour,  $40;  Bridgetown,  N.S.,  $56.73;  Judge  Wilkins,  Nova 
Scotia,  $80;  Dalhousie,  $200;  Dover,  Me.,  $592.75;  Yarmouth, 
N.S.,  $700;  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  $200;  a  friend.  Grand 
Rapids,  Mich.,  $1;  Windsor,  N.S.,  $350;  Church  of  England, 
Lime  Rock,  Conn.,  $24;  Chicago  Clearing  House,  SI, 000; 
Guysboro',  N.S.,  S121;  Manchester,  Eng.,  $3,6G0;  Liverpool, 
N.S.,  $819.27;  Burt  &  Ilenshaw,  Boston,  $850;  Maritime 
Association,  New  York,  $4,400;  Lord  Mayor  of  Dublin,  $80. G7; 
Philadelphia,  $2,000;  J.  H.  Sternburg,  New  York,  S25;  Grace 
Church,  Detroit,  Mich.,  $97.42;  Knox  Church,  Hamilton,  $100; 
City  of  Hamilton  (additional),  $3,500;  Maritime  Association 
of  New  York,  per  A.  C.  Smith,  $1,000;  Liverpool,  N.S., 
$819.27;  Capt.  Borgan,  now  at  Chatham,  $5;  Erastus  Titas, 
Baltimore,  $261.97;  Chicago,  $10,000;  Hon.  Judge  Keator, 
Ottawa,  111.,  $50;  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  $3,000;  Officers,  non- 
commissioned officers,  and  men  in  garrison,  Halifax,  through 
Gen.  O'Grady  Haly,  $522.21;  Alfred  McKay,  International 
Mines,  Cape  Breton,  $100 ;  Campbellton,  Restigouche,  per  W. 
Mott,  $147;  Bale  Verte,  Restigouche,  $50;  A.  Matthew,  N.Y., 
$100;  Norwich,  Ontario,  100;  Mongaup  Valley,  N.Y.,  per  Rev. 
Wm.  Ferrie,  formerly  of  St.  David's  Church,  $3c  30;  Peel 
County,  Ontario,  $1,000;  F.  H.  Smith  &  Co.,  per  E.  G.  Dunn, 
$25;  Boston  Theatre,  per  Mayor  Prince,  $886.03;  Priest,  Page, 
&  Co.,  "  Howe  Scale  Co.,"  $250;  County  of  Wentworth,  Onta- 
rio, $1,000;  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  $274.10;  Lieut.  Clements, 
Annapolis,  $20;  Clifton,  Ontario,  $300;  Dominion  Organ  Co., 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED,  2G3 

Bowmansville,  $102;  Port  La  Tour,  $8.27;  Bank  of  :^ront,real, 
No\vcastlo,^100;  Peterboro',  Ontario,  S124;  Glasgow,  Scotland, 
34,880;  Grey  County  Council,  Ontario,  ^500;  Garrison  at 
Halifax.  ^42.50;  Belfast,  Ireland,  $524;  lliver  John,  Pictou 
Co.,  N.S.,  $381.50;  James  L.  Bowman,  Brownsville,  Penn., 
$25;  Waterloo,  Ontario,  Council,  $200;  St.  Andrews,  $100;  Ili- 
ram  Walker  &  Sons,  London,  Ontario,  $200;  Hillsborough,  $G0; 
Bank  B.N.  America,  Sa.i  Francisco,  $2,000;  Attleboro',  Mass., 
$15;  Arichat,  C.B.,  $3G7;  Philadelphia,  $1,500;  Clinton, 
Ontario,  Masi  lic  service,  $53;  Rogers  Ilill,  Pictou,  $40.30; 
Windsor,  $207.32;  a  friend.  Mount  Vernon,  lo.,  $1;  Port 
Hope,  Ontario,  $134.20;  Eldon,  Ontario,  Council,  $500;  Messrs. 
H.  Andrews  &  Co.,  of  Belfast,  Ireland,  £5;  Messrs.  James 
Scott  &  Co.,  Cork,  Ireland,  £10;  Messrs.  J.  Lewenz  &  Co., 
London,  £50  sterling;  Messrs.  Iliiand,  Chessman,  &  Co.,  Bos- 
ton, $25  gold;  through  the  Mayor  of  Charlottetown,  the  results 
of  a  meeting  and  subscriptions  at  Lot  34,  St.  Peter's  Road, 
$55.50;  Miss  Logan,  Orilla,  Ontario,  $10;  Wentworth,  N.S., 
Presbyterian  Church,  $3;  Stewiacke,  N.  S.,  per  F.  H.  Holes- 
worth,  $40;  Petrolia,  Ontario,  per  Mayor  Kerby,  $200. 

THE   SUPPLIES. 

Burnham  &  Morrill,  10  cases  beef;  Sackville,  supplies; 
Petitcodiac,  box  goods;  Milltown,  Saint  Stephen,  cooked  pro- 
visions; Fletcher  &  Co.,  Portland,  Me.,  provisions;  Wetmore 
Bros.,  London,  20  barrels  oil;  E.  Herritt,  Petitcodiac,  provis- 
ions; Toronto  Coal  Co.,  250  tons  of  coal;  Fredericton,  two 
cars  of  cooked  provisions;  Peter  MitcheU,  Montreal,  one  case 
goods;  J.  T.  Lewis  &  Co.,  Portland,  Me.,  1  case  clothing;  J. 
W.  M.  Kinnear  &  Co.,  Halifax,  5  barrels  .lour;  Halifax,  1,025 
blankets;  Scotch  bakery,  Saint  John,  250  loaves  bread;  Ports- 


264  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

mouth,  N.H.fbox  clothing;  A.  Heney,  New  York,  100  barrels 
meal;  Montreal,  1  train-load  provisions;  Quebec,  ^supplies; 
Wilson  Packing  Co.,  Chicago,  50  cases  beef;  Halifax,  quantity 
Buppli'^s;  E.  A.  Barnard  &  Son,  Calais,  2  barrels  hams;  Saint 
Stephen  and  Milltown,  1  case  produce;  Moncton,  quantity 
bread ;  Upper  Canada  Furniture  Co. ,  50  bedsteads ;  Lawrence- 
town,  29  packages  supplies;  Halifax,  1,500  blankets;  Sussex, 
case  provisions;  Boston,  supplies  per  cutter  *'  Gallatin; "  Hamp- 
ton, lot  supplies;  Yarmouth,  N.S.,  supplies;  Amherst,  N.S., 
supplies;  Sackville,  N.  S.,  provisions;  William  Curamins  & 
Sons,  Truro,  supplies;  P.  Mclnnes  &  Co.,  100  blankets;  J.  F. 
Power  &  Co.,  Halifax,  50  barrels  flour;  Amherst,  supplies;  per 
"Argus"  from  Halifax,  16,100  pounds  pork,  6,552  pounds  beef, 
3,100  pounds  chocolate,  580  pounds  tea;  Fredericton  Ladies* 
Committee,  donation;  IVIrs.  SherifE  Temple,  Fredericton,  case 
clothing;  Deering,  Milliken,  &  Co.,  Portland,  2  cases  b'.ankets; 
North  Sydney,  load  coal;  F.  O.  Leavitt,  one  tent;  G.  W.  True 
&Co.,  Portland,  10  barrels  flour  and  meal;  Leath  &  Gore,  16 
boxes  soap;  Halifax,  supplies;  Thompson  &  Bligh,  Halifax, 
goods;  Bums  &  Murray,  Halifax,  goods;  S.  H.  &  J.  Moss,  2 
cases  clothing;  Jennings  &  Co.,  cases  clothing  ;  B.  XL  Calkin, 
clothes;  Unitarian  Parish,  Portsmouth,  N.H.,  clothes;  Chris- 
tian Temperance  Union,  Moncton,  3  cases  clothing;  Bangor, 
supplies;  Salem,  supplies;  Windsor,  N.S.,  supplies;  London- 
derry, supplies;  Portland,  Me.,  supplies;  Adam  Darling,  Mont- 
real, supplies;  M.  L.  Paul,  supplies;  Thomas  P.  Beals,  Port- 
land, supplies;  Montreal,  supplies;  Boston,  goods;  Cowdrey  & 
Co.,  Boston,  provisions;  Saint  Andrews,  supplies;  J.  W.  Jones, 
Lawrencetown,  N.S.,  suppliv.3;  Connell  and  Hay,  Woodstock, 
200  barrels  potatoes;  J.  &  C.  Harris,  Moncton,  supplies;  Stock 
Yard,  Chicago,  provisions;  Toronto,  supplies;  KentviUe,  N.S., 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED.  2G5 

supplies;  Upper  Clarence,  N.  S.,  supplies;  James  O'Brieu  & 
Co.,  clothing;  Digby,  N.  S.,  clothing;  New  Haven  United 
Workers,  clothing;  Hillsboro'.  .su[»plies;  Charlottetown,  second- 
hand clothing;  Fredericton,  5  cases  clothing;  Halifax,  50 
stoves;  Norcross,  Miller,  &  Co.,  Boston,  clothing;  Tortland, 
Me.,  clothes;  Harvey,  Albert  Co.,  supplies;  Thurston,  Hall,  & 
Co.,  Cambridgeport,  Mass.,  50  barrels  flour  and  meal;  Bridge- 
town, N.S.,  clothing;  Woodstock,  supplies;  Annapolis,  N.S., 
clotiiing;  McLean  &  Blaikie,  Great  Village,  N.S.,  supplies;  R. 
Adams,  Pollet  River,  N.B.,  bedding  and  clothing;  Fredericton, 
supplies;  Howe  Spring  Bed  Co.,  New  York,  50  bedsteads,  75 
chairs,  &c. ;  Alberton,  P.E.I.,  supplies;  Yarmouth,  N.S.,  sup- 
plies; Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  Boston,  supplies; 
Portland,  Me.,  clothing;  Montreal,  supplies;  Wilson  Packing 
Co.,  Chicago,  cooked  provisions;  Quebec,  supplies;  Montreal, 
supplies;  Shediac,  supplies;  Unitarian  Society,  Dedham,  Mass., 
supplies;  Boston,  supplies;  Portland,  Me.,  supplies;  Quincy, 
111.,  50  barrels  flour;  Saint  Andrews,  clothing;  Saratoga,  N.Y., 
supplies;  Billings  &  Wetmore,  supplies;  Waterman  Bros.,  20 
barrels  oil;  Pierce  &  Co.,  furniture;  Montreal,  supplies;  To- 
ronto, supplies;  Upper  Canada  Furniture  Co.,  Bowmansville, 
Ontario,  furniture;  Andover,  one  car  provisions;  Charlotte- 
town,  supplies,  Salem,  Mass.,  supplies;  Fredericton,  supplies; 
Prince  Edv^ard  Island,  supplies;  Ottawa  Ladies  Committee, 
supplies;  Toronto,  supplies;  Harry  Piper,  supplies;  Galbraith, 
Christie,  &  Co.,  Toronto,  supplies;  A.  Woodcock,  Toronto,  sup- 
plies; Christie,  Bond,  &  Co.,  Toronto,  supplies;  Portland,  Me., 
supphes;  Wolfville,  N.  S.,  supplies;  Montrei.!,  20  packages 
clothing;  W.  F.  Johns  &  Co.,  Gananoque,  Ont.,  supplies; 
Truro,  supplies;  Salem,  Mass.,  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, supplies;   C.  J.  Stewart,  Amherst,  supplies;  Thurston 


266  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN 

&  CameroH,  supplies;  Fredericton,  through  Sheriff  Temple,  3 
cases  clothing  and  bedding;  Campbell  ton,  clothing;  Kingston, 
Ont.,  2  cases  clothing;  Charlottetown,  P.E.I.,  per  A.  A. 
Macdonajd,  clothing;  William  Avard,  Botsford,  Westmoreland 
Co. ,  1  baiTel  pork  ;  Quincy,  111. ,  50  barrels  meal ;  J.  P.  Coates, 
clothing;  Philadelphia  Maritime  Exchange,  clothing;  Montreal, 
1  barrel  and  4  cases  clothing;  Union  Stock  Yard  and  Transit 
Co.,  Chicago,  90  ban-els  pork,  75  barrels  flour,  25  barrels  corn- 
meal,  from  the  business  men,  banks,  and  Stock  Yard  Co.; 
James  Stewart  &  Co's  foundry,  Hamilton,  Ont.,  G  cooking 
stoves  and  furniture;  Halifax,  N.  S.,  4  cases  clothing  and  2 
barrels  beef ,  80  mattresses  and  300  pillows;  Lockport,  N.S.,  2 
cases  clothing  and  be^dding;  Port  Medway,  N.  S.,  1  case  cloth- 
ing; Bayfield,  N.S.,  clothing;  Mahone  Bay,  C.B.,  lot  ok  thing; 
Stewiacke,  N.S.,  box  clothing;  J.  D.  &  J.  W.  Eaton,  Salem, 
Mass.,  box  of  new  blankets;  Carter  &  Co.,  Elora,  Ont.,  5 
barrels  flour;  Montreal  Relief  Association,  1  bale,  1  case,  and 
10  parcels  clothing. 

To  show  how  scattered  were  the  recipients  of 
these  gifts,  as  well  as  to  show  the  confidence  the 
public  placed  in  the  merchants  of  Saint  John,  we 
annex  the  statement  of  receipts  for  distribution 
made  by  one  firm.       * 

SENT   TO   MESSRS,    DANIEL   AND   BOYD   FOR   DISTRIBUTION. 

W.  W.  Turnbull,  Esq.,  Saint  John,  8200;  G.  W.  Vamvart, 
Esq.,  AVoodstock  '^-  90;  Daniel  Hawkesworth,  Esq.,  Digby, 
$20;  B.  Rosamond,  Esq.,  Ontario,  $50;  Messrs.  Loeb  &  Co., 
New  York,  $50;  Messrs.  James  McLaren  &Nep.,  Manchester, 
£100  sterling;  Messrs.  Marshall  &  Alston,  Miuichester,  £50 
sterling. 


FRIENDS  IN  NEED,  267 

SENT   TO  JOHN  BOYD,    ESQ.,    FOR   DISTRIBUTION. 

Jaraes  H.  Moran,  Esq.,  Saint  John,  ^100;  Hon.  Isaac  Bur. 
pee,  Minister  Customs,  Saint  John,  ^100;  Tliomas  Furlono-. 
Esq.,  $50;  Canada  Life  Assurance  Co.,  »^500;  Thomas  Nelson 
&  Sons,  Edinburgh,  £50  sterling,  through  Dr.  Rand,  for  teach- 
ers. Clothing  from  Saint  Andrew's  Church,  Montreal,  by  Rev. 
Gavin  Long,  value  $280;  George  Sloane,  Esq.,  New  York,  $50 
U.S.  currency. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

ADMINISTEATION  OF  BELIEF. 

The  First  Distribution.  —  The  Random  Applications.  —  The  Danger 
from  Impostors. —The  First  Organization, — Ineffectiveness  of 
Original  Plan. — The  Great  Number  of  Applicants.  —  How  they 
were  supplied.  — The  Introduction  of  the  Chicago  System.  —The 
New  Committee. — The  Tents  and  Barracks. — Independent 
Shanties,  —  How  Assistance  could  be  obtained, 

'TTTHEN  the  first  packages  of  provisions  and 
^  ^  clothing  came,  the  persons  to  whom  they 
were  forwarded  distributed  them  to  the  foremost 
comers  who  seemed  in  need;  and  by  this  random 
method  many  suffering  ones  were  at  first  supplied 
with  the  necessaries  of  life.  But  as  the  call  for 
succor  became  more  urgent,  and  the  influx  of  sup- 
plies more  abundant,  the  necessity  for  some  central 
efficient  system  became  forcibly  apparent.  So  long 
as  each  consignee  of  money  and  supplies  distrib- 
uted them  as  he  saw  fit,  without  taking  the  pains  to 
make  inquiries  in  regard  to  the  needs  of  the  appli- 
cants, many  persons  received  vastly  more  than  they 

268 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  RELIEF.  2G0 

needed,  many  were  given  supplies  the  same  day  l)y 
various  different  donors,  and  manv  deservinix  ones 
who  happened  to  be  unacquainted  with  the  })la(e,  or 
the  person  in  charge,  went  without  altogetlier.  The 
generous  gifts  of  the  sympathizing  people  were 
unequally  bestowed,  and  often  given  to  unworthy 
and  dishonest  applicants.  Yet  in  the  first  hours  of 
the  public  distress  it  was  impossible  to  adopt  any 
general  plan  of  distril)ution  which  wouhl  answer  the 
purpose.  But  when  the  first  and  most  pressing 
calls  had  been  supplied  by  individuals,  a  meeting  of 
the  citizens  was  held,  and  a  committee  appointed  to 
fake  charge  of  the  whole  matter  of  receiviuGT  and 
distributing  the  gifts  from  abroad.  The  executive 
committee  of  that  body  consisted  of  the  following 
gentlemen  :  A.  C.  Smith,  chairman ;  W.  II.  Tuck, 
C.  N.  Skinner,  E.  McLeod,  Harris  Allen,  J.  A. 
Harding,  Harry  Leonar^l,  F.  A.  King,  J.  II.  Parks. 
L.  R.  Harrison  was  afterwards  appointed  secretary. 

The  committee  for  the  receipt  and  distributioii  of 
supplies :  John  Magee,  A.  C.  Watson,  T.  Furlong, 
W.  IL  Frith,  Rev.  J.  Hartt,  Rev.  Dr.  Maclise,  Rev. 
Mr.  Macrae. 

The  finance  committee :  C.  H.  Fairweather, 
George  S.  DeForest,  W.  H.  Tuck. 

The  labors  of  this  committee  were  exceedingly 
arduous.     They  were  overrun  with  applications  for 


270  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

help,  and  nearly  overwhelmed  by  a  hungry  crowd 
of  needy  men,  women,  and  children.  They  did  the 
bcbt  they  could,  and,  with  a  fortitude  and  patience 
wonderful  to  behold,  worked  and  talked  from  the 
early  hours  of  the  morning  until  late  at  night,  visit- 
ing those  who  could  not  come,  and  cooking  at  the 
rink  for  those  who  had  no  facilities  of  their  own  for 
prej)aring  food  :  yet  irregularities  and  impostors  crept 
in.  The  great  skating-rink  which  the}^  selected  as 
their  headquarters  became  the  focus  for  all  the 
thousands  who  needed  hats,  coats,  shoes,  flour, 
bacon,  salt,  sugar,  coffee,  or  meat ;  and  with  that 
vast  army  joined  all  the  indigent  population  of  the 
outlying  districts,  who  with  lies  on  their  lips,  and 
huge  baskets  on  their  arms,  begged  in  piteous  terms 
for  a  morsel  (?)  of  bread  for  their  horridly  burned 
and  starving  (?)  families. 

The  methods  and  amount  of  work  done  appear 
by  the  following  paragraph  from  a  daily  paper :  — 

*'  From  seven  o'clock  until  eleven  o'clock  the  rink 
was  thronged  with  applicants  for  food,  armed  with 
tickets  from  the  committee  or  prominent  citizens. 
A  careful  estimate  of  the  family  and  single  tickets 
shows  that  from  seventeen  thousand  to  twentv  thou- 

ft/ 

sand  persons  were  supplied  with  substantial  food. 
In  addition  to  this,  about  three  hundred  were  fed  in 
the  rink,  receiving  three  substantial  meals.     Tea  and 


i 


I- 


o 

o 

< 

LU 

cn 


ADMINISTRATION   OF  RELIEF.  271 

coffee  are  given  out  at  every  meal,  and  meat  twee  a 
day. 

"  Each  holder  of  a  ticket  for  food  is  admitted 
through  the  main  entrance,  and  is  at  once  dii-  oted  to 
the  ciicular  counter  in  the  middle  ot  the  rink.  One 
of  the  clerks  in  waiting  receives  the  ticket,  and  i ..  ues 
supplies  in  proportion  to  the  number  cf  mouths  to  be 
ted." 

Thearrival  of  the  Rev.  C.  G.  Truesdale  of  Chicago, 
who  was  ci  airman  of  the  Chicag(>  Relief  Committee, 
and  who  was  sent  out  by  that  city  to  assist  the  people 
of  Saint  John  and  to  advise  the  merchants  of  his  own 
city  as  to  the  kind  of  contributions  most  needed, 
changed  the  whole  proceedings,  and  brought  the  work 
into  a  still  more  systematic  form.  Under  his  superin- 
tendence, the  Relief  Association  was  re-organized, 
and  the  following  committees  atppointed :  ~ 

BOARD   OF  DIRECTORS. 

Mayor  S.  Z.  Earle,  president;  W.  11.  Tuck, 
Recorder,  vice-president ;  James  A.  Harding  (high 
sheriff),  Attorney-Gen.  King,  James  Reynolds,  Wil- 
liam Magee,  A.  Chipman  Smith,  C.  N.  Skinner,  Har- 
ris Allan,  John  II.  Parks,  E.  McLeod,  F.  A.  King, 
H.  J.  Leonard,  Gen.  Warner,  Andre  Gushing,  Alder- 
men i\Iaher,  Peters,  Ferguson,  Kerr,  Adams,  Duffell, 
Brittain,  Glasgow,  and  Wilson,  E.  Fisher,  James  I. 


272  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Fellows  ;  C.  H.  Fairweather,  treasurer  ;  L.  H.  Harri- 
son, secretary. 

Executive  Committee.  —  W.  H.  Tuck,  Chairman  ; 
James  A.  Harding,  George  E.  King,  Andre  Gushing, 
Gen.  Warner,  M.  W.  Maher,  James  Reynolds ;  L.  R. 
Harrison,  secretary. 

SUB-COMIMITTEES. 

Shelter  Committee.  —  M.  W.  Maher,  F.  A.  King, 
John  H.  Parks. 

Purchasing  Supplies.  —  C.  H.  Fairweather,  C.  A. 
Everett,  A.  C.  Smith. 

Transportation.  —  Harris  Allan. 

Insurance. — John  H.  Parks,  Harris  Allan. 

Siclc^  including  Hospital  and  Interment.  —  William 
Bayard,  M.D.,  C.  N.  Skinner,  R.  N.  Knight. 

Employment.  —  Harris  Allan,  E.  McLeod,  Henry 
Duffell. 

Charitable  Institutions.  —  T.  W.  Daniel,  Andre 
Gushing,  Boyle  Travis,  M.D. 

Correspondence  and  Telegrams.  —  W.  H.  Tuck,  L. 
R.  Harrison. 

Special  Relief.  —  George  E.  King,  James  A.  Hard- 
ing, James  Reynolds,  William  Peters,  B.  Lester 
Peters,  George  F.  Harding,  C.  N.  Skinner,  Edwin 
Fisher,  Robert  Marshall,  A.  C.  Smith,  E.  McLeod. 

Reception  and  Storage.  —  William  Magee,  James 
Reynolds. 


ADMINISTRATION   OF  RELIEF.  273 

Audit.  —  Andre  Gushing,  George  S.  De Forest,  A. 
Glasgow. 

Printing.  —  Gen.  Warner,  John  Kerr,  E.  McLeod. 

A  local  paper  published  July  2  thus  commenta 
upon  the  new  regime  :  — 

*'  The  new  system  of  relief  at  the  rink  was  entered 
upon  yesterday,  and,  although  at  first  working 
somewhat  tardy,  promises  to  be  a  great  improve- 
ment on  the  former  plan. 

"  The  order  on  the  commissariat  is  as  follows  :  — 

PROVISION    ORDER. 

Deliver  to (name  of  applicant) 

(present  residence) 

Signed 

.     No. 

Date 

"  The  following,  copied  from  one  of  the  tickets 
filled  out  yesterday,  is  a  fair  sample  of  what  the 
committee  consider  good  rations:  One  man,  one 
woman,  and  four  children,  received  as  rations  for 
fifteen  days :  40  pounds  flour,  20  pounds  meat,  80 
pounds  potatoes,  5  pounds  cheese,  li  pounds  tea, 
5  pounds  sugar,  1  dozen  fish,  and  1  pound  soap. 

"  On  Tuesday  the  demand  for  out-door  relief 
exhausted  18  barrels  of  flour,  14  barrels  of  crackei-s. 


274  GRKAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN, 

12  barrels  of  oatmeal,  13  boxes  of  cheese,  12  boxes 
of  coffee,  12  boxes  of  soaj),  4  chests  of  tea,  1  barrel 
of  siii^ar,  24  barrels  of  potatoes,  6  barrels  of  beef, 
besides  quantities  of  pork  and  other  articles.  A 
larger  amount  was  given  out  yesterday,  —  enough  to 
supply  1,500  for  many  days. 

"  The  clothing  department,  under  charge  of  ^Ir.  A. 
C.  Kerrison,  is  located  on  the  floor  of  the  rink,  and, 
with  the  furniture  department  on  the  opposite  side, 
separates  the  commissariat  counters  from  the  front 
half  of  the  arena,  in  which  are  stationed  the  exam- 
ining clerks  and  other  officers. 

'•'  This  department  is  enclosed  by  high  board  walls, 
on  the  inside  of  which  are  ranges  of  shelves,  while 
down  the  centre  of  the  enclosure  is  a  double  shelved 
counter.  Every  thing  is  in  perfect  order,  and  the 
goods  are  as  carefully  classified  as  in  a  first-class  dry- 
goods  store.  Mr.  Kerrison  showed  our  reporter  a 
lot  of  children's  toys  and  picture-books,  many  of 
them  the  contributions  of  little  folk  in  Canada  and 
the  United  States,  to  the  homeless  and  houseless 
children  of  Saint  John. 

''  The  furniture  department  is  enclosed  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  one  above  described,  and  has  similar 
interior  fittings.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  about 
the  last  order  filled  3^esterday  afternoon :  one  bed- 
stead, four  chairs,  one  mattress  with  pillows,  a  cook- 


ADMINISTRATION   OF  RELIEF.  275 

stove  and  fittings,  blankets  and  quilts  for  tliiee  beds, 
croekery  and  cutlery  for  a  family,  and  one  table." 

Although  the  number  of  applicants  for  food 
during  the  fii"st  twenty-four  hours  after  the  organ- 
ization of  the  first  Relief  Committee  is  said  to  have 
exceeded  ten  thousand,  yet  the  system  of  visitation 
which  was  soon  adopted,  and  the  exodus  of  the 
people,  soon  reduced  the  number  to  less  than  three 
thousand. 

The  most  perplexing  question  which  the  com- 
mittee had  to  deal  with  was  in  connection  with  the 
applications  for  shelter.  It  was  no  small  problem  to 
ascertain  how  so  many  houseless  ones  should  be  pro- 
tected from  sun  and  storm  until  they  could  in  some 
way  provide  for  themselves.  This  matter  was  par- 
tially settled  by  pitching  a  camp  of  government  mil- 
itary tents  on  the  parade-ground  at  the  extreme  end 
of  the  peninsula,  and  crowding  them  with  people. 
Others  were  provided  with  passage  into  the  coun- 
try or  out  of  the  Provinces ;  and  in  several  other 
ways  a  temporary  covering  or  home  was  provided  for 
all.  At  a  later  period,  barracks  were  constructed  on 
Queen's  Square  for  the  better  accommodation  of 
such  as  were  more  permanently  destitute  of  homes. 

A  large  number  of  people  were  too  proud  to  ask  for 
food  or  shelter,  and  suffered  much  before  they  were 
discovered;   and  some  of  the  shelterless  ones  con- 


2<6  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

structed"  on  vacant  lots  temporary  shanties  of  dimin- 
utive size,  and  occupied  them  until  better  quarters 
Were  to  be  had.  Some  of  those  buildings  were  most 
laughable  combinations,  and  exhibited  a  conglom- 
eration of  materia]  most  wonderful  to  behold. 

The  following  notice  was  published  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  such  persons  as  desired  to  obtain  relief,  and 
shows  the  methods  adopted  by  the  committee  :  — 

"  First,  The  receiving  of  applications.  Parties  can 
apply  by  mail  or  through  friends,  or  by  a  personal 
interview  at  the  office.  This,  of  course,  is  only  pre- 
liminary ;  and  it  is  no  matter  how  it  is  done,  so  that 
it  is  prompt  and  definite  as  to  the  name  of  the  appli- 
cant and  address. 

"  All  letters  from  applicants  or  their  friends  should 
be  taken  as  the  basis  of  an  application,  and  either 
sent  out  by  visitors,  or  acted  upon  sooner,  if  the 
amount  and  quality  of  the  information  is  deemed 
conclusive. 

"Second,  The  preparation  and  recording  and 
assorting  of  the  applications,  preparatory  to  sending 
them  out  by  visitors. 

"  Tliird,  Returning  said  applications  as  soon  as 
possible  to  the  office,  with  full  report  on  each  case, 
—  comprehensive  and  reliable  as  to  all  particulars 
necessary  to  be  known. 

Fourth,  Checking  them  off,  and  delivering  them 


(( 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  RELIEF.  277 

to  the  board  of  directors  or  general  superintendent, 
to  be  passed  upon  as  soon  as  possible,  in  order  to  be 
ready  to  issue  on  them  (if  approved)  as  soon  as  the 
applicant  calls,  which  they  will  be  cautioned  not  to 
do  under  a  day  or  two  ;  and  the  visitor  will  give  each 
applicant,  at  the  time  of  visitation,  a  card  with  the 
number  of  the  application,  to  be  presented  at  the 
office  so  that  their  papers  can  readil}'  be  found. 

"  Fifth,  Prompt  issue  of  orders  for  whatever  is 
approved ;  the  goods  to  be  delivered  on  presentation 
of  tickets  to  the  respective  departments. 

"  Sixth,  Careful  numbering  and  filing  of  all  appli- 
cations on  appropriate  indexes,  and  in  packages  of 
ICO  in  pigeon-holes  ;  and  the  return  of  all  tickets,  on 
w^hich  goods  have  been  issued,  to  the  head  book- 
keeper every  night. 

"  Seventh,  Complete  indexes  of  all  applications,  in 
order  that  they  may  be  instantly  referred  to  on  a 
second  call  by  applicants,  and  so  be  able  to  check  or 
prevent  frauds  and  duplications  in  the  bookij. 

"  Eighth,  Three  weekly  or  daily  reports  from  all 
departments  to  the  general  superintendent." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

KEBUILDING  THE  CITY.      - 

Character  of  the  People.  —  Peaceableness  of  the  Inhabitants.  —  Be- 
ginning to  clear  away  the  Debris.  —  Temporary  Dwellings  — 
Temporary  Storehouses.  —  General  Clearing  of  the  Burned  Dis- 
trict.—  Measures  for  securing  Money.  —  Speech  of  Mr,  John 
Boyd. 

rriHE  people  of  Saint  John  did  not  long  despair. 
They  were  a  remarkably  hopeful  and  coura- 
geous, peaceable  people.  As  we  look  back  upon  the 
fearful  devastation,  and  contemplate  the  vast  num- 
ber of  persons  turned  out  under  such  excitement, 
and  in  the  absence  of  almost  all  lawful  restraint,  we 
do  not  cease  to  wonder  at  the  law-abiding  manner 
in  which  they  universally  conducted  themselves. 
Their  police  force,  though  efficient,  was  very  small, 
and  would  have  been  wholly  inadequate  for  such  a 
time  as  that  when  the  fire  was  raging,  had  it  existed 
in  such  small  numbers  in  any  other  coast  city.  It  is 
true,  the  artillery  and  a  detachment  of  the  Sixty- 
second  Regiment  of  mihtia,  and  a  small  body  from 

— ^^79 


REBUILDING  THE  CITY.  279 

the  Ninety-seventh  regulars,  stationed  at  Halifax, 
were  ordered  into  the  ciiy,  where*  for  sev(,Tal  days 
they  encamped ;  yet,  as  far  as  the  writer's  observa- 
tion went,  they  were  of  little  actual  service.  They 
were  handsome  bodies  of  military  men,  and  ably 
commanded  beyond  question  ;  but  the  over wi ought 
anxiety  of  a  stricken  people,  and  the  unnatural  fears 
which  resulted  from  such  a  fright,  were  the  only 
excuse  for  their  presence.  The  city  was  wonder- 
fully free  from  thieves,  incendiaries,  and  mobs,  in 
view  of  the  opportunities  and  provocations. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  record  such  a  fact,  and  to  let  it 
go  down  to  posterity  to  the  credit  of  the  people  of 
Saint  John.  But  another  feature  of  their  character, 
which  secures  respect,  was  seen  in  the  courageous 
and  enterprising  measures  for  rebuilding  the  city, 
taken  by  them  while  the  foundations  were  still  hot. 
In  order  to  provide  a  temporary  home  for  their  fami- 
lies, they  began  as  early  as  the  morning  of  the  second 
day  after  the  fire,  to  construct  rude  board  structures, 
containing  one  or  two  rooms,  in  which  they  could 
sleep  and  eat  until  the  cellars  of  their  houses  were 
cleared,  and  a  new  home  constructed.  Merchants 
ordered  plans  for  new  stores  to  be  drawn  before  the 
smoke  ceased  to  rise  from  the  debris^  and  set  work- 
men with  teams  upon  the  task  of  clearing  tlie 
rubbish   and  laying   the  foundations.      Meanwhile, 


280  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

to  furnish  accommodations  for  the  stores  of  such  as 
could  find  no  rooms,  the  city  granted  them  the  use 
of  King's  Square,  which  was  soon  covered  with 
temporary  buildings,  and  made  the  centre  of  a  most 
thriving  trade  in  all  classes  of  merchandise.  Every- 
where was  the  work  of  clearing  prosecuted ;  and  so 
soon  were  the  streets  cleared,  the  toppling  walls  torn 
down,  and  the  reconstruction  begun,  that  the  visitor, 
foiir  weeks  after  the  fire,  could  obtain  no  idea  of  the 
ruins  as  they  were  when  the  fire  left  them. 

Measures  were  promptly  adopted  to  obtain  assist- 
ance from  the  government,  and  loans  from  English 
capitalists ;  and  the  ^'^heels  of  enterprise  thus  set  in 
motion  moved  on  with  surprising  speed.  Public 
meetings  were  held  to  consult  upon  the  best  plan  to 
raise  money  and  rebuild ;  and  the  spirit  of  the  popu- 
lace was  well  represented  in  a  speech  made  at  one 
of  these  by  Mr.  John  Boyd,  a  citizen  of  Saint  John, 
whose  portrait  we  present  in  our  frontispiece.  Suf- 
fice it  to  say  here,  that  at  the  close  of  Mr.  Boyd's 
speech,  a  committee,  consisting  of  the  following  sub- 
stantial citizens,  was  appointed  and  unanimously 
confirmed,  to  carry  out  the  measures  proposed  by 
him  :  — 

John  Boyd,  James  Hegan,  Robert  Ferguson,  W. 
M.  Sears,  A.  L.  Palmer,  Andre  Gushing,  J.  C.  Fer- 
guson, William  Duffell,  W.  H.  Tuck,  Z.  Ring,  Alex- 


REBUILDING  THE  CITY.  281 

ander  Lockhart,  J.  L.  Dunn,  Alexander  Jardine,  J. 
H.  Moran,  John  Afc^NIillan,  George  F.  Smith,  "Wil- 
liam ^lagee,  Henry  Vaughn,  J.  S.  Boies  De  Yeber,  J. 
P.  C.  Burpee,  E.  J.  Brass,  James  Harris,  S.  Z.  Earle 
(mayor),  Joseph  W.  Lawrence,  D.  J.  McLaugh- 
lin, W.  H.  Thorne,  George  McKean,  Robert  Cruik- 
shank,  Hugh  Gregory,  Alexander  Gibson,  Henry 
Hilyard,  C.  A.  Everett,  John  Hegan,  Stephen  Hall, 
John  H.  Parks,  W.  C.  Watson,  D.  V.  Roberts,  Wil- 
liam Lindsay,  T.  R.  Jones,  J.  V.  Ellis,  E.  Willis, 
William  Elder,  James  A.  Harding  (high  sheriff),  T. 
B.  Barker,  C.  H.  Fairweather,  W.  W.  Turnbull, 
Richard  Thompson,  Jeremiah  Harrison,  Thomas 
Furlong,  John  Yeats,  J.  D.  Lewin,  Thomas  Gilbert, 
George  G.  Gilbert,  J.  V.  Troop,  A.  C.  Smitli,  John 
W.  Nicholson,  Simeon  Jones,  Charles  W.  Weldon,  J. 
K.  Dunlop,  R.  T.  Clinch,  Oliver  T.  Stone,  G.  Sidney 
Smith,  L.  J.  Almon,  James  Domville,  and  D.  D. 
Robertson,  with  power  to  add  to  their  numl)er. 

Mr.  Boyd  said  he  was  there,  as  Chief  Justice 
Ritchie  had  remarked,  only  as  a  listener  and  learner ; 
but  the  presence  of  Judge  Ritchie  reminded  him  of 
an  association  in  this  city,  of  which  the  learned  judge 
was  a  trustee,  which  had  done  its  work  well,  of  which 
there  were  twelve  trustees  personally  responsible  to 
the  lenders.  Of  this  association  he  had  been  a  trus- 
tee.    It  borrowed  at  five  per  cent,  and  loaned  at  six 


282  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

per  cent;  had  in  its  hands  at  one  time  $650,000; 
executed  the  trust  liberally ;  and,  when  it  gave  up 
its  operations  into  the  hands  of  the  Dominion  Gov- 
ernment, had  profits  of  842,000,  which  the  trustees 
voted  to  the  City  Hospital ;  and  thus  ended  the 
labors  of  an  association  whi^h  did  great  good  in  its 
day,  and,  in  the  grant  to  the  City  Hospital,  has  left 
a  memorial  of  the  economy,  wisdom,  and  judgment 
of  the  trustees  of  the  Saint  John  Savings  Bank. 
The  principle  is  the  same  in  the  association  proposed 
by  Mr.  Domville,  —  to  borrow  on  the  lowest  terms, 
and  lend  as  cheaply  as  can  be,  retaining  enough  for 
ordinary  expenses,  risks  of  loans,  and  the  payment 
of  interest  on  the  bonds.  It  would  be  impossible  to 
get  the  government,  as  such,  to  make  advances  in 
this  way.  In  extraordinary  cases,  governments 
might  do  extraordinary  things ;  and  it  would  not  be 
going  beyond  their  legitimate  duty  to  guarantee  the 
bonds  of  such  an  association  as  this,  they  seeing  that 
proper  trustees  were  appointed  to  work  with  the 
company,  and  to  supervise  the  loans.  The  City  Cor- 
poration acting  with  the  local  government  in  giving 
their  indorsation  of  the  bonds  of  this  association, 
would  settle  the  matter  beyond  all  doubt ;  and  he 
had  the  authority  of  a  leading  financier  present, 
one  of  the  keenest  and  ablest  in  the  Dominion,  that, 
in  his  opinion,  the  money  could  be  had  in  this  way 


REBUILDING  TEE  CITY.  283 

at  six  per  cent ;  and  we  cannot  get  it  lower,  and 
should  be  thankful  to  obtain  it  at  this  rate.  These 
loan  associations  are  no  new  thing :  they  have  been 
in  f^xistence  in  Canada  for  many  years,  and  a  large 
part  of  Upper  Canada  has  been  built  by  the  moneys 
procured  through  them.  We  cannot  get  money 
unless  we  have  proper  security  to  offer.  These 
securities  must  be  looked  into  and  held  by  some  one. 
These  holders  and  managers  must  be  paid,  and  no 
will  work  long  or  well  unless  he  be  paid ;  and  the 
question  is,  Why  cannot  Saint  John  pay  these  invest- 
ments, as  well  as  Montreal,  Toronto,  Hamilton,  and 
London?  and  why  should  Saint  John,  as  some  among 
us  do,  object  to  the  receiving  of  these  moneys,  when 
no  city  on  this  continent  has  received  more  benefit 
than  Saint  John  in  proportion  to  the  amounts  so 
received?  Objection  is  made  by  some  to  foreign 
capital  being  received  here,  as  it  was  five  and  twenty 
years  ago  ;  but  look  at  our  lines  of  railways  cen- 
tring in.  this  city,  constructed  by  this  money  from 
abroad  t  and  in  the  growth  of  our  trade  by  means  of 
these,  have  we  not  all  benefited  immensely  beyond 
the  six  per  cent  which  it  has  cost  us  yearly  ?  The 
principle  is  the  same  which  we  apply  to  the  most 
ordinary  business  operations.  A  shipyard  is  lying 
empty,  —  no  money,  and  consequently  no  work.  A 
Liverpool  merchant  says  to  Mr.  Fraser,  or  Mr.  Stew- 


284  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

art,  or  Mr.  Dunlop,  "Here  is  £12,000  which  I  wish 
to  invest  in  a  ship.  I'll  advance  you  £4,000  to  go 
on,  and  so  on  as  you  proceed,  and  charge  you  six  per 
cent  I  iterest  on  the  operation."  At  once  the  lum- 
herman  cuts  down  the  trees,  the  millman  saws  them, 
the  railways  or  the  carters  deposit  them  in  his  yard, 
the  shipwright  drives  the  bolts,  the  blacksmith  the 
fastenings ;  the  painter,  the  calker,  the  rigger  —  all 
are  employed.  That  deserted  shipyard  becomes  a 
scene  of  life  and  activity ;  and  forth  there  goes  the 
result  of  our  united  energies,  to  carry  our  name  over 
every  sea,  and  to  bring  back  their  wealth  to  us. 
And  why  all  this  ?  Because  of  this  foreign  capital 
idle  before,  busy  now,  stimulating  every  industry, 
and  building  up  our  city ;  while  the  lender  receives 
good  interest  for  his  capital,  and  the  borrower  is  able 
to  pay  it,  and  at  the  same  time  make  a  profit  of 
$6,000  or  $8,000  on  his  operation.  Just  as  the  ship- 
yard without  capital  would  have  been  silent,  so  will 
our  city  be ;  but  take  hold  of  this  plan,  and  organize 
it  properly  with  the  right  men,  and  these  tall  and 
blackened  chimneys,  and  these  falling  walls,  and  sad- 
looking,  poverty-stricken  shanties,  which  now  stare 
at  us  like  ghastly  spectres,  where  only  three  weeks 
ago  stately  warehouses,  banks,  churches,  school- 
houses,  and  princely  mansions  were,  will  soon  be 
taken  away,  and  once  more  will  the  happy  homes 


REBUILDING  THE  CITY.  285 

be  ''Ti^  and  the  stately  warehouses  erected;  and 
Saint  John,  of  which  we  were  all  proud,  —  perhaps 
too  proud,  —  will  rear  its  head,  and  show  to  the 
world  that  its  people  are  worthy  of  all  that  sympa- 
thy and  aid  which  have  been  so  lavishly  poured  into 
it ;  that  they  are  worthy  of  help  who  help  them- 
selves, as  we  must  do  in  this  hour  of  stern  necessity. 
These  loan  associations  are  easily  worked.  There  is 
no  mystery  about  them,  and  there  should  be  none. 
Ever}^  practical  banker  understands  their  operations : 
they  charge  according  to  the  nature  of  the  security 
offered ;  and  the  security  Saint  John  can  offer  is 
second  to  none.  We  have  great  reason  to  thank  Mr. 
Domville  for  his  action  in  this  matter.  He  has  gone 
abroad,  and  brought  back  "intelligeDce  most  gratify- 
ing, —  that  the  money  can  be  had,  and  at  a  reason- 
able rate.  It  only  rests  with  us  to  organize  the 
machinery  by  which  this  useful  information  can  be 
made  practically  available.  Let  earnest  men  meet, 
men  of  all  shades  of  opinion,  and  do  what  is  neces- 
sary, and  we  shall  succeed.  Let  the  same  energy 
which  built  up  this  city  in  the  past  be  displayed 
now ;  let  the  same  holy  brotherhood,  which  seems  to 
have  merged  us  all  into  one  family  since  that  terrible 
20th  of  June  last,  continue  us  banded  together  to 
repair  all  our  losses ;  and  there  will  be  no  cause  for 
repining ;  our  disasters  will  all  be  repaned ;  and  in  a 


286  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN, 

quarter  of  a  century  our  beautiful  city  shall  be  all 
that  its  friends  will  desire ;  and  no  city  on  this  con- 
tinent will  be  better  able  to  meet  its  obligations. 
Our  noble  river  pouring  its  treasures  into  the  city, 
our  railways  bringing  in  products  from  every  point, 
cannot  be  turned  aside  from  its  course  ;  and  there- 
fore why  should  there  be  one  despondent  heart 
among  us?  For  the  practical  testing  of  this  ques- 
tion, I  beg  to  move  that  a  committee  be  appointed 
to  deal  with  this  matter,  and  take  such  action  as 
may  be  considered  necessary  under  the  circum- 
stances. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS. 

Tlie  Sad  Worshippers.  —  The  Meetin;;s  for  Consultation. — Sad  as 
Funerals.  —The  Sermon  of  the  Rev.  D.  M.  Maclise,  D.D. :  "  Shall 
there  be  evil  in  a  city,  and  the  Lord  hath  not  done  it?"  — Sermon 
of  the  Rev.  John  Wills:  "Shall  a  trumpet  be  blown  in  the  city, 
and  the  people  not  be  afraid?"  — Sermon  of  the  Rev.  G.  M.  Ann- 
strong:  "I  know,  OLord,  that  thy  judgments  are  right," 

'TXT'E  made  a  sincere  and  earnest  effort  to  obtain 
for  publication,  from  the  pastors  of  the 
churches,  extracts  from  their  sermons  delivered  on 
the  sabbath  succeeding  the  fire.  We  hoped  thereby 
to  find  the  free  expressions  of  the  people's  feelings, 
and  preserve  them  for  future  study.  But  the  con- 
fusion incident  to  so  great  a  disturbance,  combined 
with  the  sad  fact  that  there  were  but  few  rooms  left 
in  the  city  wherein  they  could  congregate,  caused 
such  as  there  were  of  the  church  services  to  be  very 
limited  in  number  and  duration.  The  assemblies  of 
the  members,  whenever  an  opportunity  offered  itself 
for  the  purpose  of  discussing  their  future  prospects, 

287 


288  GREAT  FIRE  TN  SAINT  JOHN. 

were  sadder  than  many  funerals.  Every  eartlil}^ 
tiling  connected  with  the  sacred  memories  and  tlie 
hallowed  associations  that  had  so  long  held  thcni 
together  was  swept  away  forever.  In  such  a  time 
and  in  such  a  situation  the  words  of  the  preacher 
have  a  peculiar  interest  to  the  public  ;  and  in  order 
that  future  students  of  the  history  of  this  event  may 
know  something  of  the  religious  life  of  the  inhabit- 
ants, and  better  understand  the  excellent  qualities 
of  that  God-fearing  populace,  we  add  the  extracts 
given  below,  and  regret  that  the  circumstances  pre- 
vented the  delivery  and  the  publication  of  the  ser- 
mons of  other  distinguished  preachers. 

The  Rev.  David  M.  Maclise,  D.D.,  selected  his  text 
from  Amos  iii.  G,  the  first  sabbath  after  the  fire,  and 
spoke  as  follows  :  — 

"  Shall  there  be  evil  in  a  city,  and  the  Lord  hath 
not  done  it  ?  "  (Amos  iii.  6.)  The  word  evil  is  one 
of  very  wide  application.  In  a  general  sense  ifc  com- 
prises all  that  is  opposite  to  good,  whether  natural  or 
moral.  Pain,  sickness,  poverty,  misfortune,  loss  of 
any  kind,  are  natural  evils ;  sin  in  general,  crime  of 
any  kind,  vices  of  every  kind,  are  moral  evils.  Any 
thing  that  causes  displeasure,  pain,  sorrow,  suffering, 
or  calamity,  is  a  natural  evil ;  while  all  that  produces 
or  is  either  the  primary  or  immediate  cause  of  nat- 
ural evil  is  often,  if  not  always,  a  moral  evil  or  sin 
so  far  as  man  is  concerned. 


CnURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  289 

AVhen  we  remember  that  God  is  holy,  and  that 
''in  liim  is  no  darkness  at  all,"  that  *'  he  is  of  purer 
eyes  than  to  behold  evil,  and  cannot  look  on  ini- 
quity," we  shall  distinctly  understand  that  the  evil 
spoken  of  in  the  text  is  not  moral  evil,  is  not  sm,  but 
the  suffering  of  evil,  or  calamitj\  "  Shall  there  be 
calamity  in  a  city,  and  the  Lord  hath  not  done  it, 
hath  not  inflicted  it  ? "  This  seems  the  proper 
meaning  of  the  mquiry ;  and  it  does  not  in  any  way 
or  the  slightest  degree  attribute  to  God  the  commis- 
sion or  production  of  sin,  which  from  his  nature 
and  its  nature  it  is  impossible  he  '-hould  do  ;  but  the 
infliction  of  that  penal  or  corrective  evil  which 
God  may  lay  on  an  individual,  a  city,  or  a  nation, 
for  the  purpose,  on  the  one  liand,  of  punishing  them 
for  sin,  or,  on  the  other,  of  correcting  them,  and 
therebv  briuGrinc,'  them  back  to  God  himself.  But 
from  this  it  does  not  necessarily  follow  that  the  most 
guilty  are  most  severely  afflicted :  nay,  the  very 
opposite  may  be  and  often  is  the  case. 

With  this  understanding .  of  our  text,  we  may 
observe  that  the  world  is  composed  of  good  and  evil : 
of  good,  as  it  came  first,  fresh,  fair,  and  pure,  from 
its  Maker's  hand,  as  he  looked  on  its  loveliness  with 
delight,  and  pronounced  it  "  very  good ;  "  and  of 
evil,  which  entered  it  when  it  lapsed  into  sin. 

As  long  as  man  maintained  his  allegiance   to  his 


290  GREAT  FIRE  TN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Creator  and  law-sfiver  in  its  inteGT^itv,  so  \oncf  c^ood 
alone  remained  unmingled  in  the  world.  I»ut  the 
moment  the  falseliood  of  Satan  was  believed,  and 
preferred  to  the  truth  of  God,  evil  entered  into  the 
world,  commingled  itself  with  the  good,  obtruded 
itself  into  the  place  of  the  good,  and  made  tlie  "  very- 
good  "  to  be  turned  into  evil ;  and  consequently  ever 
since,  while  we  have  in  the  world  much  that  i«  real 
good,  and  much  that  is  imaginary  good,  we  have 
both  commingled  with  much  that  is  evil  ;  and  it 
becomes  a  problem  of  no  easy  solution,  to  tell  which 
most  generally  predominates.  And  although  we  are 
generally  ready  to  conclude  that  good  prevails,  and 
although  in  the  end  evil  shall  be  exterminated,  and 
good  alone  shall  exist  in  the  new  or  renewed  earth, 
and  unmingled  righteousness  shall  alone  rule,  yet 
still  there  are  times  and  seasons  in  the  history  of 
our  suffering  race,  when  we  might  find  it  one  of  the 
most  difficult  of  tasks  to  persuade  the  sufferers  that 
the  evil  of  calamity  is  not  greater  than  the  good. 
There  is  a  mistake  into  which  we  are  all  ready  to 
fall,  into  which  many  have  fallen ;  and  that  is,  when 
we  enjoy  prosperity  which  we  call  good,  we  attrib- 
ute it  all  to  ourselves,  to  our  own  procuring.  The 
possession  of  abundance  is  ever  calculated  to  close 
the  eye  against  the  recognition  of  the  Hand  wliich 
ever  open  supplies  abundance,  and  to  lead   us  to 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  291 

place  it  all  to  the  credit  of  our  own  prudence  or 
business  ability,  or  that  of  our  ancestors  who  pro- 
cured and  bequeathed  it  to  us ;  and  in  its  enjoy- 
ment we  are  prone  to  ignore  God,  who  gives  it  and 
all  good  gifts. 

AVe  see  this  characteristic  of  human  nature  admir- 
ably set  forth  in  the  case  of  the  king  of  Babylon. 
When  he  stood  on  the  top  of  his  splendid  palace,  and 
looked  around  on  the  fair,  far-reaching,  and  populous 
city,  he  said,  in  the  pride  of  his  heart,  "  Is  not  this 
great  Babjdon  that  I  have  built  for  the  house  of  the 
kingdom,  by  the  might  of  my  power,  and  for  the 
honor  of  my  majesty?  "  Had  he  been  about  to  engage 
in  deadly  conflict  with  his  foes,  he  would  doubtless 
have  invoked  the  aid  of  his  false  gods,  or  perchance, 
in  imminent  peril,  have  been  impelled  to  acknowledge 
the  God  of  heaven,  as  the  kings  of  Babylon  sometimes 
did ;  but  noiv  when  surrounded  with  affluence,  peace, 
and  prosperity,  by  the  splendor  of  the  city  he  had 
done  so  much  to  elevate  to  its  present  grand  position, 
he  looked  upon  it,  and  recognized  not  God  from 
whom  the  power  came,  and  at  the  tenure  of  whose 
will  he  held  it,  but  saw  himself  as  the  originator 
and  director  of  all:  "Is not  this  great  Babylon  that  1 
have  built  for  the  house  of  the  kingdom,  b}"  the  might 
of  my  power,  and  for  the  honor  of  my  majesty  ?  " 

Trace  human  nature  down  through  all  the  grades, 


292  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

from  the  loftiest  to  the  lowliest  position,  from  the 
mighty  monarch  of  Biib}'lon  down  to  the  meanest 
digger  in  the  mud,  and  3'ou  will  fnid  that  whenever 
and  wherever  emplo3*ment  is  plenty  and  remuneration 
ample,  there  is  an  inclination  to  forget  God,  and 
claim  tlie  credit  of  all  to  self.  On  the  other  hand, 
wlien  evil  comes  npon  us,  Avhen  loss  is  experienced, 
or  calamity  of  any  kind  crushes  us,  w^e  at  once  look 
beyond  self,  and  search  for  some  cause  to  which  we 
may  assign  the  evil  we  endure.  These  causes  are 
numerous  and  various.  Some  attribute  all  the  ills 
they  bear  to  chance.  ^lany  never  go  beyond  a  mere 
calculation  of  chances  to  account  for  all  the  afflictions 
of  their  lives  :  they  look  upon  the  world  as  a  chapter 
of  accidents ;  they  consider  the  rise  and  power  of  na- 
tions, the  wealth  of  a  community  or  an  individual,  as 
merely  their  good  fortune,  Avhile  their  poverty,  their 
reverses,  their  ills  of  all  kinds,  are  their  ill  fortune, 
and  all  alike  the  result  of  mere  blind  chance.  Again, 
others  more  philosophical,  more  reasonable,  because 
more  considerate,  wdio  have  discovered  that  chance  is 
nothing,  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  chance,  that 
what  so  many  call  chance  is  merely  "  direction  that 
we  cannot  see,"  search  for  some  more  satisfactory 
cause,  and  think  the}"  find  it  in  what  they  denominate 
tlie  r/ncral  laws  of  nature.  Or  perhaps,  if  more 
piously  than  philosophically  inclined,  they  will  at- 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  293 

tribute  all  the  causes  that  produce  the  changes  to 
nature' fi  God,,  hut  stop  short  at  those  g-f'neral  hnvs 
which,  as  they  su^/  )se,  form  and  control  the  niovc- 
nieuts  of  Providence  ;  but  the  particular  actings,  and 
the  combination  of  circumstances  which  regulate  the 
operations  of  these  general  laws,  they  take  entirely 
out  of  the  hands  of  God,  and  look  only  to  this  sec- 
ondary  and  subordinate  instrumentality  by  which, 
according  to  their  ideas,  the  general  laws  impressed 
on  the  universe  are  found  to  operate,  as  they  imagine, 
without  any  further  care  or  control.  The  conse- 
quence is,  that  good  is  enjoyed,  and  self  is  honored; 
or,  if  perchance  nature  or  the  God  of  nature  be 
acknowledged,  the  secondary  cause  will  yet  be  thoir 
own  skill,  &c.,  that  leaves  God  out  of  the  account, 
and  sets  up  humanity.  On  the  other  hand,  if  evil  be 
endured,  it  will  be  assis^ned  to  anv  other  cause  than 
God;  and  it  is  not  till  man  is  renewed  in  tlie  spirit  of 
his  mind,  tliat  he  is  renewed  in  the  power  of  faith, 
and  is  led  to  accept  the  truth,  that,  "if  there  be  evil 
in  a  city,  the  Lord  hath  done  it." 

If  an  evil,  a  calamity,  is  endured  in  the  nation, 
in  the  city,  in  the  family,  in  the  individual ;  if  it  is 
found  in  the  marts  of  commerce  where  the  rieh  prod- 
ucts of  tlie  earth  are  continually  cxj)Osed  for  sale 
and  profit,  or  in  the  dark  and  dreary  lanes  into  wliich 
misery  and  want  and  woe  retire  to  hide  themselves 


294  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

from  tlie  light  of  day,  in  those  wretched  cellars  or 
garrets,  tlie  last  resort  of  friendless  poverty,  where  the 
inmates  are  exposed  to  the  fetid  odors  and  deadly 
damps  and  malarious  exhalations,  or  to  the  winds 
and  the  rains,  and  the  snows  and  frosts  of  winter; 
whether  it  be  in  the  palace  of  splendor,  or  the  hovel 
of  penury,  —  it  is  the  Lord  hath  done  it.  If  it  be  a 
calamity  tliat  comes  to  the  treasury  of  a  nation,  and 
shuts  up  the  fountains  from  which  it  was  supplied  ;  or 
that  comes  to  the  health  of  a  nation,  and  lays  its 
thousands  or  tens  of  thousands  on  beds  of  pain  and 
death ;  or  a  calamity  that  has  sent  famine  into  the 
land,  or  one  that  has  reduced  to  dust  and  ashes  the 
hamlet,  town,  or  city, — it  is  the  Lord  hath  done  it. 

There  are  many  phases  of  evil  in  the  land  at  the 
present,  which,  did  time  permit  their  consideration, 
would  all  tend  to  illustrate  the  great  truth  indicated 
in  our  text;  such  as  the  commercial  distress  through 
which  for  nearly  four  years  we  have  been  passing, 
the  general  and  protracted  want  of  employment,  its 
causes  and  consequences :  but  it  does  not.  We  would 
see  in  these  and  all  other  forms  of  calamity,  that,  while 
men  usually  limit  them  to  second  causes,  the  real  and 
original  cause  of  all  is  sin,  —  the  sin  of  the  people, 
and  the  righteous  judgment  of  God  on  the  people  on 
account  of  it,  to  correct  them  for  it,  and  reform  them 
from  it ;  but  that  men  will  attribute  it  to  any  other 
cause  than  this. 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  295 

To  come  nearer  home,  and  get  away  from  general 
princi2)les  and  considerations  under  the  broad  aegis 
of  which  we  might  feel  inclined  to  shield  ourselves 
from  social  or  individual  blame  or  responsibility,  let 
us  turn  our  attention  more  particularly  to  the  terrible 
calamity  which  with  one  fell  stroke  has  destroyed 
more  than  half  of  all  the  buildings  in  this  city,  and 
probably  four-fifths  of  the  value  of  the  whole,  and 
also  much  precious  life ;  a  calamity  which  has  ren- 
dered homeless  from  fifteen  to  twenty  thousand  peo- 
ple, reducing  multitudes  of  them  from  opulence  or 
competence  to  poverty  and  starvation.  Perhaps  no 
such  calamity,  so  extensive,  so  absolute,  so  complete, 
so  utterly  ruinous  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the 
place,  and  means  of  the  people,  has  ever  been  expe- 
rienced on  this  continent.  Absolutely  considered, 
indeed,  far  greater  conflagrations  have  taken  place; 
as  for  instance,  Chicago.  In  that  city  a  space  one  mile 
broad  and  two  miles  long  was  burnt,  rendering  home- 
less from  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  to  two  hun- 
dred thousand  pet)ple ;  about  ten  times  the  extent  of 
this  conflagration,  great  as  it  is,  with  an  equivalent 
of  value  in  similar  proportion.  And  in  Boston 
twice  as  many  women  and  sewing-girls  were  rendered 
homeless  and  out  of  employment  by  the  great  fire 
there,  as  there  are  here  of  all  classes  burnt  out.  There 
were  about  thirty  thousand  of  that  one  class,  prob- 


296  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

ably  not  inucli  more  than  fifteen  tliousand  in  all  here. 
And  yet,  for  the  size  and  means  of  tliis  city,  fifteen 
thousand  homeless  ones  is  a  startling  and  appalling 
fact  to  contemplate. 

In  returning  from  Halifax  on  Wednesday  night 
last,  I  heard  at  Truro  the  startling  tidijigs, "  Half  of 
Saint  John  is  burnt ;  all  the  business  part  of  the  city 
is  gone.  It  commenced  at  York  Point,  passed  up 
Dock  Street,  burning  all  the  way  down  to  the  docks, 
and  many  vessels  in  the  harbor,  I\ing  Street,  Prince 
William  Street,  Water  Street,  Germain  Street,  past 
Saint  Andrew's  Church  and  the  Victoria  Hotel ;  and 
it  is  still  raging,  passing  on  to  Lower  Cove."  That 
was  sufficiently  alarming ;  it  was  startling  and  stupe- 
fying; but  it  did  not  convey  to  my  mind  lialf  of  the 
terrible  reality.  There  were  many  Saint  John  men 
on  the  train,  and  the  excitement  w^as  intense ;  while 
at  each  station  the  telegrams  not  only  confirmed  the 
truth  of  the  awful  tidings  flashed  on  the  lightning's 
wings  along  the  wires,  but  gave  new  and  still  more 
terrible  accounts  of  the  conflagration.  It  was  passing 
eastward  toward  Courtenay  Bay.  Now  it  had  reached 
Charlotte  Street,  Sydney  Street,  then  Carmarthen 
Street,  and  was  passing  up  Leinster  Street,  thence 
northward  in  the  very  teeth  of  the  furious  gale  that 
was  sweeping  the  fire  before  it  with  irresistible  fury, 
to  King  Street,  east.     More  than  one  hundred  miles 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  2<J7 

distant  we  saw  the  heavens  lighted  up  with  the  lurid 
glare  of  the  great  burning  going  on  in  the  homes  of 
tens  of  thousands  of  our  fellow-eitizens;  and  oh, 
how  helpless  we  felt,  as  we  gazed  with  beating  hearts 
and  bated  breath  on  the  surging  symbol !  Oh,  how 
we  longed  for  power  in  a  moment  to  transport  our- 
selves to  the  place  where  our  friends  were  in  agony 
looking  on  their  consuming  houses,  and  all  of  earth 
they  possessed,  perhaps  themselves  perishing  in  the 
flames  amid  their  burning  homes,  in  the  vain  endeavor 
to  save  something  from  the  general  ruin ! 

But  we  had  no  such  power;  and,  even  if  we  had,  it 
would  have  been  of  no  avail,  for,  had  we  been  here, 
we  would  have  been  as  heli)less  as  all  the  rest.  The 
train  rushed  on  with  its  usual  speed ;  but  it  seemed 
to  us  that  express-train  never  before  moved  so  slowly, 
nor  stopped  so  often  or  so  long.  At  Moncton,  where 
we  stopped  the  apparently  interminable  time  of  an 
hour,  waiting  for  the  northern  train,  a  railroad  em- 
ployee told  me  that  both  the  Congregational  and 
Calvin  churches  were  consumed;  that  he  had  read 
the  telegram  which  said  so  a  few  minutes  ago.  It 
seemed  as  if  that  informajtion  must  be  true.  The 
man  was  intelligent,  and  said  he  could  not  be  and 
was  not  mistaken;  and  yet  I  did  not,  could  not, 
would  not,  believe  it.  It  was  ajyparintly  true,  and 
caubed  a  strange,  startling  sensation  to  thrill  tlnough 


298  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

my  whole  being  as  I  heard  it;  but  yet  I  held  it  as  an 
idle  tale.  I  reasoned  rapidly  thus  :  ".  The  wind  is 
novtli-west ;  starting  from  York  Point,  it  has  passed 
up  Dock  Street  to  King  Street,  and  onward  south 
towards  the  bay.  According  to  all  other  telegrams, 
part  of  the  north  side  of  King  Street  below  King 
Square  still  stood :  that  could  not  be,  and  those 
churches  gone ;  for  with  such  a  wind  in  such  a  direc- 
tion, were  those  churches  gone,  all  south  of  them  to 
King  Street,  and  including  it,  must  be  gone  too." 
And  yet  it  was  not  till  I  saw  the  tower  now  over  our 
heads,  that  I  was  fully  persuaded  that  my  reasoning, 
and  not  the  telegram,  was  correct.  When  I  saw  it, 
and  saw  the  black  cloud  risinc^  from  and  restiuGT  over 
the  ruined  city,  and  thought  of  the  unimaginable 
woes  that  lay  beneath  it,  my  heart  was  too  full  for 
utterance ;  and  the  friends  who  gathered  round  me 
at  the  depot,  all  telling  me  of  the  destruction  that  I 
knew  only  too  well  already,  may  have  thought  me 
heartless  and  unfeeling  as  I  silently  listened  to  the 
excited  and  exciting  utterances.  Appearances  often 
deceive,  and  "things  are  not  what  they  seem."  It 
was  because  just  then  speech  was  impossible.  I  could 
not  bear  the  strain,  and  maintain  my  manhood's  forti- 
tude ;  and  therefore  abruptly  turned  away  to  hide  the 
tears  that  would  well  up,  although  "  not  much  given 
to  the  melting  mood."     Hastening  home  with  mingled 


cnuRcuEa  and  sermons.  299 

feelings,  —  feelings  of  devout  gratitude  tluit  this  my 
church  and  home  were  spared  amid  the  general  over- 
throw of  twelve  or  thirteen  other  churches  and  pas- 
tors' homes,  feelings  of  profound  grief  for  the  fearful 
losses  and  sufferings  of  so  many  of  my  own  people, 
and  other  people  residing  in  the  burnt  district,  —  I 
could  not  wait  a  moment  to  rest  after  a  night  of  sleej^)- 
less  excitement,  till  I  went  over  the  ruins  of  the  city 
but  yesterday  morning  so  fair,  and  apparently  so  safe. 

As  I  walked  alone  amid  thousands  among  the 
ruins,  and  looked  on  the  wide-spread  total  destruc- 
tion of  the  greater  part  of  all  the  homes  and  all  the 
business  houses  of  the  city,  so  lately  full  of  life  and 
hope  and  happiness,  I  felt  as  I  had  never  felt  before, 
and  hope  never  to  feel  again.  It  was  soul-sickeiung 
beyond  conception,  and  still  more  beyond  descrip- 
tion ;  and  therefore  I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  it. 
Nor  do  I  need  to  make  the  attempt  to  you,  who  have 
doubtless,  most  of  you,  felt  the  same ;  and  even  those 
views  and  feelings  and  sickening  sensations  utterly 
fail  to  realize  the  magnitude  and  the  far-reaching 
consequences  of  the  stupendous  calamity. 

A  few  months  ago  this  community  was  startled 
when  four  or  five  business-houses  with  their  contents 
were  consumed,  and  five  men  perished  in  them, 
bringing  sorrow  and  bereavement  to  as  many  homes ; 
and  no  wonder,  for  it  was  a  great  disaster.     How 


300  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

much  greater  the  present  calamity  is,  no  living  man 
can  yet  tell;  greater  in  the  loss  of  property  a  tlioii 
sand-fold  perhaps.  How  many  lives  are  lost,  is  not 
yet  known.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the  boldest 
stand  aghast  at  the  overwhelming  catastrophe.  The 
whole  scene,  men  say,  is  very  blue.  It  is  worse, 
much  worse  than  blue :  it  is  black ;  black  beyond 
description  or  imagination,  both  metaphorically  and 
literally.  And  yet  it  is  not  wholly  black.  There 
are  some  bright  spots  and  some  rifts  in  the  black 
thunder-cloud ;  there  is  not  only  a  silver  Ihiing  to 
the  cloud,  but  a  golden  glory  lights  up  its  heaven- 
ward side.  The  news,  flashed  across  not  only  the 
continent,  but  around  Christendom,  of  this  calamity, 
has  excited  an  amazing  sympathy  among  the  nations, 
which  is  bringing  to  our  aid  a  vast  amount  of  relief 
in  provisions  and  other  necessaries,  including  large 
sums  of  money,  which  will  doubtless  afford  at  least 
temporary  means  of  support  to  the  most  necessitous ; 
so  that  none  need  perish  from  hunger,  or  otherwise. 

It  is  truly  cheering  to  see  how  much  there  is  of 
genuine  goodness  in  the  human  heart,  in  spite  of  sin ; 
to  see  how  the  tale  of  sorrow  and  suffering  can  stir 
up,  and  has  stirred  up,  the  beneficent  sympathies  of 
the  souls  of  men  and  women,  not  only  in  the  whole 
Dominion,  but  in  the  Fatherland :  nor  there  alone ; 
for  our  brethren  of  the  great  American  Republic  are 


cnuRcnEs  and  sermons.  301 

coming  to  our  aid  witli  a  liCtirtiness  and  a  liliorality 
that  is  wortliv  of  thcni :  and  that  is  saviiiu,"  all  that 
I  need  say,  except  tliat,  living  among  them  as  I  liave 
done  for  more  than  half  my  life,  and  knowing  as  I 
do  the  grandeur  of  their  generosity,  I  am  not  sur- 
prised at  tlieir  beneficence,  but  would  have  been  sur- 
prised had  it  been  otherwise. 

For  all  this  our  hearts  should  be  profoundly  grate- 
ful,—  grateful  to  our  kind  benefactors  for  their  sym- 
pathies and  their  gifts;  abuv.  a;  grateful  to  our 
gracious  and  most  merciful  Father  in  heaven,  who 
gives  them  kindly  dispositions,  and  hearts  overflow- 
ing with  charity  in  the  highest  and  best  sense  of  the 
term ;  and  I  doubt  not  that  our  hearts  are  grateful 
for  goodness  granted  us  in  the  past,  in  the  present 
emergency,  and  in  the  prospects  of  the  future. 

While  we  are  grateful  for  all  this  aid,  and  properly 
appreciate  it  as  demonstrated  in  the  kindness  and 
beneficence  of  others,  let  those  of  us  wdio  have  not 
suffered  so  severely  as  others,  but  have  been  merci- 
fully spared,  endeavor  practically  to  show  our  grati- 
tude to  God  for  sparing  us,  by  doing  our  duty  in  this 
great  crisis  of  our  history,  in  affording  such  relief  as 
may  be  in  our  power  to  those  who,  in  the  providence 
of  God,  are  not  so  well  provided  for  as  ourselves. 
Let  us  not  exclusively  rely  on  the  beneficence  of 
others,  but  manfully  put  our  own  shoulders  to  the 


302  GliEAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

wheel,  and  help  along  our  destitute  brethren  by 
sharing  with  them  our  spare  rooms,  our  food  and 
clothing. 

As  a  congregation,  we  have  great  reason  to  be 
grateful  to  our  God  for  his  kindness  and  his  care  in 
sparing  an*^  preserving  our  church  edifice,  which  has 
cost  us  so  much,  not  only  of  material  wealth,  but 
also  of  the  more  precious  coin  of  the  heart,  wliile  so 
many  other  churches  have  been  reduced  to  dust  and 
ashes.  And,  what  is  still  more  precious  than  this 
fair  building,  precious  as  it  is,  the  lives  of  all  the 
congregation,  so  far  as  I  know,  have  also  been  spared ; 
not  one  life  lost.  It  is  true,  many  of  you  have  lost 
your  all  —  no,  not  your  all ;  only  your  earthly  all; 
nor  even  all  that :  jow.  have  each  other ;  and,  by  the 
blessing  of  Him  to  whom  belongs  the  silver  and  the 
gold,  you  may  yet  obtain  more  of  earthly  good  than 
you  ever  owned  before.  And,  above  all,  you  have 
not  lost  your  Saviour.  You  cannot  lose  him,  nor 
will  he  leave  you.  He  is  the  Friend  that  is  nearer 
and  dearer,  and  sticketh  closer,  than  a  brother. 

Other  congregations  have  suffered  more  severely 
than  we,  —  suffered,  not  only  in  the  loss  of  property 
more  extensively,  but  also  in  precious  life.  But 
yesterday  I  heard  one  brother-pastor  make  lamenta- 
tion over  five  members  of  his  church  cut  off  by  the 
devouring  fire.     Let  us  sympathize  with  them   in 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  303 

their  losses,  their  bereavements,  and  sorrows ;  and 
bless  our  God  who  lias  dealt  so  tenderly  with  ««,  and 
preserved  us  so  well.  Afllietions,  however  severe, 
are  really  blessings  when  they  lead  to  reformation  of 
the  erroi^s  which  led  to  their  infliction. 

There  are  several  lessons  which  we  may  learn  from 
this  affliction,  and  which,  properly  learned  and  prac- 
tised, will  make  us  safer,  wiser,  and  better.  Let  us 
glance  at  a  few  of  them.  One  lesson  we  may  learn, 
and  benefit  by,  is  the  necessity  that  exists  for  using 
materials  in  building  that  will  not  be  inflammable 
as  a  tinder-box.  This  use  of  so  much  wood,  and 
that  of  the  most  inflammable  kind,  as  has  prevailed  in 
this  city  and  elsewhere,  has  been  undoubtedly  the 
immediate  cause  of  this  and  similar  disasters  on  this 
continent.  Even  when  the  walls  were  properly  con- 
structed of  brick  or  stone,  so  much  pitch-pine  and 
other  combustibles  were  employed  in  and  about  the 
eaves  and  roofs,  that  the  destruction  of  the  whole 
structure  was  rendered  inevitable. 

No  such  conflagrations  as  are  common  in  this  coun- 
try have  occurred  in  the  old  countries  of  Europe  for 
ages,  nor  in  the  nature  of  things  are  they  possible. 
Why?  Because  there  the  people  build  with  a  view 
to  safety  from  fire.  They  construct  no  wooden 
houses,  and  no  wooden  and  pitched  roofs ;  they  build 
the  walls,  solid  walls  of  brick  or  stone,  and  put  solid 


304  GREAT  FIRE  IN  S.UNT  JOHN. 

slate  or  tiles  upon  their  roofs :  lience  a  fire  scarcely 
ever  oxteiuls  beyond  a  single  building,  and  in  that 
the  lire  almost  invariably  begins  wiili  its  iiillamniable 
contents.  It  is  the  wisest  economy  thus  to  build,  and 
cheapest  by  far  in  the  end,  for  a  house  thus  con- 
structed lasts  for  ages,  descending  from  generation  to 
generation ;  insurance  costs  the  merest  trifle,  in  many 
cases  literally  nothing,  as  it  is  wholly  unnecessary  ;  no 
danger  from  within,  and  none  from  w^ithout.  It  is 
earnestly  to  be  hoped  that  our  civic  authorities  will 
learn  wisdom  from  the  experiences  of  the  past,  and 
absolutely  prohibit  the  erection  of  such  structures  as 
those  Vvdiich  have  provided  the  fuel  for  this  most 
calamitous  conflagration.  It  is  also  "  devoutly  to  be 
wished"  that  others  in  other  towns  and  cities  may 
learn  a  lesson  of  wisdom  in  this  respect,  from  the  bit- 
ter experience  of  us  and  others  who  have  similarly 
suffered  from  the  infatuated  course  we  have  pursued 
in  erecting  buildings  apparently  designed,  and  cer- 
tainly especially  adapted,  to  make  magnificent  bon- 
fires. Wooden  buildings  in  cities,  and  particularly 
wooden  roofs,  whether  mansard  or  not,  are  too  costly, 
because  so  eminently  dangerous  and  destructive,  to 
be  any  longer  indulged  in.  If  men  will  violate,  so 
determinately  as  they  have  done,  the  well-known  and 
inexorable  laws  of  nature,  or  rather  laws  of  God,  they 
must  continue  to  bear  the  terrible  consecj[uences  of 


CnURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  305 

sucLl  violation  of  law.  "  Oli  tliat  men  would  be  wise, 
that  they  would  understand  this ! "  IL'ul  tlii.^  c  ity 
been  constructed  of  proper  material,  it  had  not  been 
consumed,  and  thousands,  and  tens  of  thousands  had 
not  been  left  homeless  and  wretched ;  those  bodies  of 
men,  women,  and  children,  had  not  been  left  broken, 
bleeding,  and  burnt,  done  to  death  by  a  terribly  mis- 
taken, expensive,  and  ruinous  economy.  What  Car- 
lyle  said  of  England  is  true  in  a  much  more  intense 
degree  of  us  on  tliis  side  the  Atlantic. 

I  quote  from  memory,  and  do  not  attempt  to  give 
his  exact  words :  "  We  are  growing  more  and  more 
selfish,  and  prone  to  slight  and  show  and  sham.  A 
few  ages  ago  England  was  wont  to  awake  right 
early  in  the  morning  to  the  fervent  prayer,  '  Grant, 
O  Lord,  that  we  may  this  day  do  our  duty  to  our 
best  and  utmost ;  that  we  may  be  useful  to  ourselves, 
each  other,  and  to  God,  for  Christ's  sake.  Amen.' 
But  now  it  awakes  to  the  prayer,  or  rather  the 
abnegation  of  prayer,  though  the  inward  inspiration 
of  the  heart  which  is  genuine  prayer  may  be  proper- 
ly thus  ejxpressed :  '  Oh  that  I  may  get  through  this 
'SLj  with  the  minimum  of  care,  labor,  and  expense, 
and  with  the  maximum  of  self-indulgence,  sham, 
shoddy,  and  profit,  for  the  Devil's  sake.  Amen.' 
Unless  some  gospel  be  preached  and  practised  more 
elevating  than  the   dismal  science  of  to-day,  this 


306  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

cannot  long  endure.  It  is  only  too  likely  to  end  in 
petroleum,  and  that  ere  long." 

"VYe  have  the  proof  of  all  this  but  too  plainly 
demonstrated.  What  has  caused  this  terrible  disas- 
ter ?  Sin,  no  doubt  you  will  say,  and  that  is  true 
enougli ;  but  what  kind  of  sin  ?  Many  kinds  ;  but 
mainly  the  sin  of  covetousness  as  seen  in  the  misera- 
bly mistaken  economy.  For  cheapness  and  saving, 
and  hastening  to  be  rich,  using  material  for  buildings 
that  is  almost  as  dangerous  as  dynamite ;  saving 
thereby  a  few  hundred  dollars  at  first,  but  at  last 
to  result  in  the  loss  of  as  many  millions,  and  lives 
worth  more  than  the  millions, — is  not  this  sin? 
Yes,  "  a  sin  to  be  punished  by  the  judges."  Would 
that  it  were  everywhere  made  penal  to  commit  it! 
and  there  are  probably  few  of  us  that  are  not  guilty 
of  it  in  some  of  its  aspects ;  and  therefore  has  this 
calamity  come  upon  us. 

From  the  nature  of  things,  this  disaster  will  press 
more  heavily  on  some  people  than  on  others ;  from 
which  we  are  by  no  means  to  conclude  that  thet/ 
were  pre-eminently  guilty,  or  sinners  above  others  in 
these  respects.  Speaking  of  the  Galilseans  whose 
blood  Pilate  had  mingled  with  their  sacrifices,  the 
Saviour  of  sinners  asks,  "  Suppose  ye  that  these  Gali- 
Iseans  were  sinners  above  all  the  Galilseans,  because 
they  suffered  such  things?    I  tell  you  nay;  but,  ex- 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  307 

cept  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likemse  perish.  Or  those 
eighteen  on  whom  the  tower  in  Siloam  fell,  and  slew 
them,  —  think  ye  that  they  were  sinners  above  all 
men  that  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  ?  I  tell  you  nay;  but, 
except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish."  They 
were  judgments  brought  on  them  on  account  of  their 
sms,  —  general  and  individual  sins.  All  were  guilty, 
all  deserved  death ;  but  on  onlv  a  few  was  the  death 
penalty  inflicted,  that  proper  proof  of  the  divine  dis- 
pleasure might  be  manifested,  and  that  those  who 
were  spared  might  be  w-arned,  repent  and  be  saved, 
while  yet  there  was  time  and  space  for  repentance, 
reformation,  and  salvation.  And  they  made  a  poor 
improvement  of  the  admonitory  dispensations  in 
those  days,  who  failed  to  benefit  by  them,  through 
repentance  and  reformation,  as  most  of  them  did 
fail,  and  as  many,  it  is  to  be  feared,  will  fail  to 
benefit  by  the  calamities  of  the  present  day.  There 
are  people,  some  of  them  in  high  places,  wdio,  as 
it  would  appear,  cannot  be  taught,  are  apparently 
incapable  of  learning.  Thus  some  of  our  civic  rulers 
still  advocate  wooden  buildings,  claiming  to  be  there- 
by the  poor  man's  friend ;  and  one  of  them  actually 
afiBrmed  that  it  was  the  flames  from  the  stone  and 
brick  of  his  neighbor's  buildings  that  consumed  his 
dwelling,  not  knowing  apparently  that  it  was  the 
irresistible  fury  of  the  fire  of  thousands  of  wooden 


308  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

buildings,  by  wliicli  those  stone  and  brick  buildings 
were  surrounded,  that  set  on  fire  and  consumed  tlie 
wood  of  these  buildings  whose  walls  were  brick  and 
stone,  and  that  the  wood  in  its  consumption  set  fire 
to  his  home.  When  will  our  riders  learn  wisdom  ? 
One  lesson  that  we  may  learn  is,  that  we  cannot 
violate  the  laws  of  God,  whether  physical  or  moral, 
with  impunity.  Another  lesson  is,  that  God  mani- 
fests his  mercy  when  he  causes  calamity  to  awaken 
us  from  our  sleep  of  forgetfulness  and  unconcern, 
when  he  snatches  us  from  this  world's  folly  and 
infatuation,  when  he  drags  us  from  our  self-delusion, 
and  shows  us  our  need  of  a  Saviour,  by  the  suffering 
of  evil. 

The  mercy  of  God  in  inflicting  individual  calamity 
is  great,  and  is  often  seen  and  acknowledged  by  the 
afflicted  ones  to  be  very  great :  more  probably  are 
draAvn  to  God  from  a  sick-bed,  than  from  a  condition 
of  the  most  perfect  health ;  thousands  have  blessed 
the  God  who  laid  them  on  beds  of  suffering  and 
sorrow,  and  consequently  separated  them  from  the 
sins  in  which  they  had  been  indulging,  and  gave  time 
and  inclination  of  heart  to  seek  his  favor  which  is 
life,  and  his  loving  kindness  which  is  better  than  life. 
Nor  is  God  less  merciful  in  social,  civic,  and  national 
calamities.  The  business  tendency  among  men  is 
generally  running  towards  forgetfulness  of  God';  it 


cnuRcnES  and  sermons.  309 

forgets  liini  in  the  energy  and  intensity  of  its  employ- 
ment ;  it  lias  not  time  for  God,  and  often  "he  is  nut 
in  all  their  thoughts ;  "  it  forgets  him  in  the  calcula- 
tion of  its  losses,  and  still  more  in  the  calculation  of 
its  profits ;  and  in  every  way  it  is  disposed  to  forget 
him,  until  calamity  becomes  so  great  that  its  profits 
and  its  losses  are  equally  put  out  of  sight,  and  God, 
the  inflicter  of  the  calamity,  comes  into  view.  As 
loncf  as  men  have  their  minds  en<]^rossed  with  losses 
and  profits,  as  long  as  they  are  wdiolly  actuated  by 
the  hope  of  avoiding  the  one,  and  obtaining  the 
other  —  so  long  they  are  continually  in  danger  of 
forgetting  God.  Therefore  does  the  all-wise  and 
merciful  Father,  from  time  to  time,  paralyze  the 
power  of  their  commerce,  and  strike  terror  into 
the  civic  or  national  heart,  and  dries  up  its  numerous 
channels  and  sources  by  calamity,  in  order  that  the 
individual,  the  city,  or  the  nation  may  turn  from 
their  infatuating  idols  to  himself. 

Sometimes  men  wonder  at  the  magnitude  of  a 
calamity,  and  doubt  whether  there  can  be  wisdom, 
goodness,  and  mercy  in  any  thing  so  w^idely  ruinous 
to  worldly  interests.  We  must  ever  remember  that 
God's  thoughts  are  not  as  our  thoughts,  nor  his  ways 
as  our  ways  ;  "  for,  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the 
earth,  so  are  my  ways  higher  than  your  ways,  and 
my  thoughts  than  your  thoughts,  saith  the  Lord." 


310  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

What  seems  very  great  to  us  seems  very  little  to 
God.  When,  more  than  a  hundred  miles  away,  I  saw 
the  reflection  of  the  great  burning  going  on  here,  it 
was  only  because  I  knew  the  exact  direction  to  look 
that  I  found  it  at  all :  had  I  not  known  it  was  there, 
I  would  not  have  noticed  it  at  all,  or  seeing  it  would 
have  attracted  little  or  no  attention.  Great  as  it 
seemed  and  really  was  to  the  on-lookers,  to  those  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  away  it  seemed  a  compara- 
tive speck  on  the  distant  horizon ;  and  I,  knowing  its 
extent,  wondered  at  the  littleness,  and  thought  how 
small  a  thing  must  even  this  great  calamity  appear 
to  God,  who  has  all  the  countless  worlds  of  creation 
under  his  control  and  care.  Is  there  any  thing  in  that 
lurid  spot  to  show  why  it  should  not  exist,  if  there 
are  great  moral  or  spiritual  purposes  to  serve  by  its 
existence  ?  What  is  all  that,  great  as  it  is,  to  the 
value  of  a  soul  ?  What  is  that  in  comparison  of  the 
great  day  that  is  coming,  when  not  only  a  part  of  a 
single  city  of  no  great  extent,  but  the  whole  earth, 
shall  be  in  flames ;  when  "  the  heavens  being  on  fire 
shall  be  dissolved,  and  the  elements  shall  melt  with 
fervent  heat,"  and  you  and  I  and  all  mankind  shall 
stand  before  the  great  white  tlirone  to  give  account 
of  the  deeds  done  by  us,  whether  they  be  good  or 
bad,  and  be  judged  in  accordance  therewith,  and  to 
then  enter  on  our  endless  condition  of  weal  or  woe  ? 


cnuRcnES  and  serjwns.  311 

Permit  me,  then,  in  conclusion,  to  direct  you  all,  in 

this  time  of  trouble,  to  the  true  and  ouIt/  remedy  for 

all  evil.     There  is  hut  one  remedy  for  the  evils  of 

the  land,  for  the  evils  of  the  city,  for  the  evils  of  the 

individual,  and  the  sins  which  bring  them,  —  the  Lord 

Jesus  Christ.     lie  is  the  remedy  for  all  our  evils. 

Nothing  will  or  can  cure  those  evils  but  uniting  our 

souls  to  Jesus :  that  alone  can  give  us  light  and  power 

rightly  to  use  this  world  without  abusing  it.   Nothing 

else  will  enable  us  to  meet  any  and  every  disaster 

without  dismay,  even  grim  death  itself  in  any  form ; 

but  leaning  on  the  arm  of  the  Beloved  we  need  fear 

no  evil ;  clothed  in  the  robe  of  his  righteousness,  we 

shall  calmly  contemplate  "  the  war  of  elements,  the 

wreck  of  matter,  and  the  crush  of  worlds ;  "  for 

"  'Mid  flaming  worlds,  in  this  arrayed, 
With  joy  shall  we  lift  up  our  head." 

Beloved  friends,  let  me,  then,  commend  you  to 
Christ,  the  physician  by  whom  alone  "  the  ills  that 
flesh  is  heir  to  "  can  be  alleviated  and  remedied.  Oh 
that  I  could  lead  every  one  of  you  to  Him  who  is 
the  King  of  kings  and  the  Lord  of  Lords,  and  induce 
you  every  one,  and  all  men,  never  to  trust  in  the  pre- 
scriptions of  men  for  remedying  the  evils  of  your 
hearts  and  your  lives,  the  evils  of  the  city,  the  nation, 
and  the  world. 

There  is  but  one  Saviour,  the  help  and  the  hope  of 


312  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Israel  in  the  time  of  trouble,  —  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
•who  calleth  not  the  righteous  but  sinners  to  repent- 
ance, and  is  calling  on  us  loudly  by  public,  social,  and 
individual  affection  in  various  forms,  and  entreating 
us  by  his  word,  his  spirit,  and  his  providence,  saying, 
"  Turn  ye,  turn  ye  :  why  will  ye  die  ?  " 

"  Shall  there  be  evil  in  a  city,  and  the  Lord  hath 
not  done  it?  "  God  is  now  giving  us  a  call  to  take 
his  word,  to  take  his  character,  to  stand  up  for  him, 
to  endeavor  to  remedy  the  evil  sin  has  brouglit  into 
the  world  and  into  this  community.  He  is  giving 
us  a  call  to  be  his  stewards,  his  agents  for  the  dispen- 
sation of  his  bounties :  let  us  seek  to  be  faithful  in  our 
stewardship.  Tlie  time  will  come,  and  come  soon, 
*  much  sooner  than  many  of  us  suppose,  when  notwith- 
standing all  our  bodily  health,  strength,  and  j)roperty, 
"we  shall  be  no  longer  stewards."  Let  us  contem- 
plate and  prepare  for  that  time,  by  being  faithful  in 
our  stewardship  to  which  God  has  called  us, — faith- 
ful unto  death,  and  we  shall  receive  crowns  of  life. 

Let  us  give  God  the  glory ;  give  him  glory  in  the 
attributes  of  his  nature  imperishable  as  they  are,  and 
sh'ning  as  they  do  in  the  eye  of  faith,  in  moral  and 
spiritual  beauty.  Give  him  glory  by  recognizing 
and  obeying  his  wondrously  good  and  glorious  laws, 
physical,  moral,  and  spiritual,  by  which  he  sustains, 
controls,  and  governs  the  universe  of  matter  and  of  in- 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMuNS.  313 

teLij^ence,  and  the  violation  of  which  inevitably  brings 
disaster  and  ruin.  Give  him  glory,  for  he  is  holy, 
glorious  in  holiness ;  he  is  the  King  in  his  beauty, 
the  chief  among  ten  thousand,  and  the  one  altogether 
lovely.  Give  him  glory,  for  he  is  just:  his  justice 
demanded  a  glorious  victim,  and  his  glorious  love 
procured  and  paid  it,  and  paid  it  for  us.  Give  him 
glory ;  for,  notwithstanding  all  our  sufferings,  he  is 
long-suffering,  and  waits  to  be  gracious.  Give  him 
glory,  for  he  is  loving.  We  read  of  Codrus  the  Athe- 
nian, who  died  for  his  country,  for  iiis  friends ;  and  of 
Curtius  the  Roman,  who  died  for  his  native  city. 
These  brave  men  died ;  and  a  grateful  and  enthusi- 
astic people  wept  over  them,  and  enshrined  their 
memory  as  a  precious  memorial  in  their  hearts  and 
on  the  page  of  history.  But  our  dear  Lord  and  Mas- 
ter died  for  his  enemies :  he  loved  those  that  hated 
him,  did  good  to  those  who  despitefully  used  and 
persecuted  him  and  crucified  him.  He  is  fairer  than 
the  children  of  men,  the  rose  of  Sharon,  the  lily  of 
the  valley. 

But  if  you  will  not  give  him  glory  now,  by  repent- 
ance of  sin,  and  faith  in  Jesus  the  Saviour  of  sinners, 
and  love  for  him,  the  time  will  come  when  you  must 
bow  to  his  sceptre  ;  for  he  is  as  glorious  in  his  power 
as  in  his  holiness  and  truth.  He  has  said,  "  The  wicked 
shall  be  turned  into  hell,  and  all  nations  that  forget 


314  GREAT  FT  RE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

God; "  and  his  own  right  arm  shall  get  him  the  vic- 
tory over  all  his  incorrigihle  enemies.  And  as  stiff- 
necked  and  rebellious  sinners  are  cast  forth  from  his 
^presence,  and  as  they  fall  from  the  heights  of  heaven, 
and  the  burning  pit  j^awns  to  receive  them,  the  cho- 
rus song  of  millions  of  millions  of  adoring  saints  and 
angels  shall  peal  around  the  throne  of  God,  saying, 
"  Great  and  marvellous  are  thy  works.  Lord  God 
Almighty ;  just  and  true  are  all  thy  ways,  thou  king 
of  saints ;  who  shall  not  fear  thee,  and  glorify  thy 
name?'' 

The  following  sermon  was  preached  July  1,  1877, 
in  the  Unitarian  Hall,  Saint  John,  by  the  Rev.  John 
Wills,  from  the  text,  "  Shall  a  trumpet  be  blown  in 
the  city,  and  the  people  not  be  afraid  ?  Shall  there 
be  evil  in  a  city,  and  the  Lord  hath  not  done  it?'' 
(Amos  iii.  6.) 

Self  is  the  universal  idol  before  which  every  one 
bows  down  in  abject  adulation.  It  is  in  obedience 
to  its  oracles,  so  superlatively  deceptive,  that  we  lay 
the  onus  of  all  our  misfortunes  on  the  shoulders  of 
others,  instead  of  on  our  own.  In  casting  about  for 
their  cause,  we  scarcely  ever  light  upon  the  true  one, 
namely,  our  own  culpable  inattention  to  the  require- 
ments of  nature's  changeless  laws ;  and  when,  blind- 
ed by  our  idolatry  of  self,  we  can  find  no  adequate 


cnuRcnES  and  sermons.  315 

cause  for  our  greatest  troubles  outside  of  ourselves, 
our  ej^otism,  our  self-sufficiency,  our  pride,  all  unite 
in  making  God  responsible  therefor.  So  we  call 
them  judgments,  when,  in  fact,  they  are  mercies, 
messengers  of  love,  sent  to  us  from  our  Father  who 
is  in  heaven. 

There  are  times,  however,  when  the  idol  self  is 
hurled  from  its  pedestal  in  the  human  soul ;  when 
the  brighter,  the  better  side  of  our  nature  trinmphs 
over  our  self-hood,  and  compels  us  to  be  generously 
disinterested,  unselfishly  benevolent.  We  have  had 
full  proof  of  this  since  the  wholesale  destruction  of 
our  city  by  the  late  tornado  of  fire,  that  swept  away, 
in  its  desolating  progress,  so  many  of  our  beautiful 
homes,  hallowed  by  the  associations  of  the  past,  by 
the  memories  of  childhood,  and  by  the  best  affections 
of  the  heart.  The  universal  sympatliy  that  our  great 
calamity  has  called  forth  leaves  us  no  room  to  doubt 
that  there  is  a  God-like  spirit  in  man,  to  which  the 
Almighty  imparts  his  inspiration.  Indeed,  if  we  of 
this  stricken  city  do  not  perceive  the  unearthly 
beauty  of  the  inner  courts  of  humanity,  and  if  we 
fail  to  fathom  the  great  reservoir  of  unselfishness  that 
fills  its  deepest  springs,  ready  to  burst  forth  at  the 
anguished  cry  of  our  brother-man,  we  are  either  the 
most  blinded,  the  most  imbecile,  or  the  most  ungrate- 
ful, of  created  intelligences.     But,  whether  we  see 


316  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

it  or  not,  the  star  of  human  nature  shines  out  most 
brightly  in  the  darkest  niglit  of  human  woe.  ^ay 
not,  tlien^  that  the  world  is  governed  solely  by  self- 
interest.  There  is  within  every  child  of  man  a  seed 
of  divinity,  that,  when  developed  by  circumstances, 
dwarfs  his  littleness  to  an  almost  invisible  point,  ai>d 
magnifies  liis  greatness  almost  to  the  dimensions  of  i 
god. 

We    short-sighted  mortals  are,  unfoit^mately,  too 
prone  to  regard  the  things  as  wholly  evil  which  are 
often  instruments,  in  the  hands  of  Omnipotence,  by 
which  he  is  working  out  for  our  race  an  exceeding  . 
and  eternal  weight  of  glory. 

Calamities  are  not,  as  some  imagine,  necessarily 
judgments :  rather,  indeed,  should  we  esteem  them 
mercies. 

Hawthorne  once  said,  "Perhaps,  if  we  c^uld  pene- 
trate nature's  secrets,  we  should  find  that  what  we 
call  weeds  are  more  essential  to  the  well-being  of  the 
world  than  the  most  precious  fruit  or  grain."  Even 
so  it  might  well,  be  said,  that,  if  we  could  unravel 
the  mystery  of  life,  we  should  find  that  what  we 
call  evil  is  perhaps  more  essential  to  the  welfare 
of  mankind  than  what  we  esteem  to  be  our  chiefest 
good.  There  can,  indeed,  be  no  evil  in  the  sense  in 
^^■hich  we  understand  the  word;  for  God  is  the 
Author  of  all  things,  and  he  is  wholly  good.     To 


cnuRcnES  and  sermons.  317 

assert,  therefore,  the  existence  of  evil,  save  only  <is 
the  negation  of  good,  if  not  in  some  mysterious  way 
its  germ,  is  to  libel  the  Almighty,  to  call  in  question 
Ills  omnipotence,  and  to  proclaim  that  there  is  a 
mightier  still  than  he,  another  deity  besides  the 
Eternal,  usurping  his  thorne,  dashing  from  his  brow 
the  crown  of  goodness,  and  wresting  from  his  grasp 
the  sceptre  of  righteousness.  Such  a  thought  is  too 
intensely  absurd,  too  manifestly  impious,  to  be  enter- 
tained for  a  moment  by  any  rational  creature  who 
pauses  to  consider  the  full  meaning  of  the  word 
"  omnipotent."  Every  thing  that  happens  must  be 
in  strict  conformity  with  the  all-wise,  all-perfect  laws 
of  the  "great  directing  Mind  of  all."  Whoever 
attempts  to  violate  these  is  made  to  feel  that  they 
cannot  be  violated  with  impunity.  In  the  very 
nature  of  things,  the  laws  of  the  Eternal  are  —  what 
the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians  were  merely 
fabled  to  be  — "  unchangeable,"  fixed  as  the  pillars 
of  the  skies,  immovable  as  the  foundations  of  the 
everlasting  hills.  Evil  is  often  used  by  the  sacred 
writers,  as  in  our  text,  to  represent  a  state  of  war 
and  its  attendant  misery. 

"  Shall  a  trumpet "  —  the  signal  of  alarm  and 
invasion  — "  be  blown  in  the  city,  and  the  people 
not  be  afraid  ?  Shall  there  be  evil  in  a  city,  and  the 
Lord  hath  not  done  it  ?  "     If  the  people  take  not  the 


318  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

alarm  when  it  is  sounded,  and  provide  not  for  their 
defence  and  safeguard,  there  will,  of  course,  hi  evil 
in  the  city ;  i.e.,  the  enemy  will  come  in  like  a  flood, 
and  prevail  against  it.  Such  is  the  natural  order  of 
things  in  both  the  moral  and  the  physical  world.  So 
the  Eternal  has  ordained  that  the  indolent,  who 
disregard  the  warnings  of  approaching  peril,  shall 
suffer  for  their  criminal  contempt  of  his  righteous 
laws. 

Thus,  when  we  read  in  the  book  of  the  prophet 
Isaiah,  who  represents  himself  as  the  mouthpiece  of 
the  Lord,  "  I  am  Jehovah,  and  none  else ;  forming 
light,  and  creating  darkness ;  making  peace,  and 
creating  evil:  I,  Jehovah,  am  the  author  of  all  these 
things,"  we  are  to  understand  the  son  of  Amoz  as 
teaching  the  children  of  Israel  that  the  natural, 
inevitable  consequence  of  their  departure  from  the 
law  of  their  God,  in  the  observance  of  which  their 
national  safety  lay,  would  be  the  triumph  of  their 
enemies,  and  the  ruin  of  their  nation.  So  Tre  see 
that  there  is  a  sense  in  which  it  may  be  quite  truly 
said  that  Jehovah  is  the  author  of  good  and  evil,  as 
of  lisrht  and  darkness. 

All  things  happen  according  to  the  good  pleasure 
of  his  will,  in  conformity  with  those  eternally  un- 
changeable laws  written  with  the  finger  of  omnipo- 
tence on  every  page  of  the  wondrous  book  of  nature. . 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  319 

"  Shall,"  then,  "  a  trumpet  be  blown  in  the  city,  and 
the  people  not  be  afraid?  Shall  there,"  then^  "be 
evil  in  a  city,  and  the  Lord  hath  not  done  it  ?  "  No, 
a  thousand  times  no  /  for  the  Lord  doeth  all  things  ; 
causing  the  fire  to  burn,  and  the  water  to  drown,  by 
the  unerring  operation  of  those  natural  laws  that  he 
has  imprinted  on  both.  As  men  sow,  they  shall 
assuredly  reap ;  and  yet  it  is  God  that  giveth  the 
increase,  whether  they  sow  the  world-wide  field  of 
humanity  with  the  brazen  tares  of  vice  or  the  golden 
wheat  of  virtue. 

If  they  sow  the  seeds  of  national  weakness,  how 
can  they  expect  to  reap  the  fruit  of  national  strength? 
All  the  evils  that  were  threatened  by  the  ancient 
prophets  of  Israel,  from  Moses  to  Malachi,  were  the 
necessary  consequences  of  inattention  to  or  wilfu] 
neglect  of  the  laws  that  were  instituted  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  people,  by  observing  which  peace  would 
undoubtedly  have  been  preserved  within  their  bor- 
ders, and  prosperity  in  their  palaces.  But,  by  the  non- 
observance  of  the  means  ordained  for  tlieir  defence, 
they  were  sure  to  fall  before  their  enemies,  just  as 
the  ripe  corn  falls  before  the  sickle  of  the  reaper. 
The  Almighty  was  said  to  create  the  evil  which 
results  now,  as  then,  from  disobedience  to  the  law 
that  is  written  by  nature,  and  therefore  by  God,  on 
every  human  heart.     As  for  those  who  impiously  or 


320  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

ignorantly  assert  that  every  great  calamity  is  a  spe- 
cial visitation  of  the  Almighty,  for  the  wickedness  of 
men,  their  impiety  is  only  exceeded  by  their  folly, 
and  their  ignorance  by  their  presumption.  There  is 
no  evil  of  which  man  can  be  guilty,  that  can  prevent 
the  glorious  sun  from  rising,  and  the  blessed  rain  from 
falling,  upon  him.  And  we  would  do  well  to  con- 
sider, that,  whatever  was  said  "  hy  them  of  old  time^'' 
this  great  truth  was  most  distinctly  taught  by  Him 
who  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light.  Did  he 
not  assure  his  disciples  that  the  heavenly  Father 
maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good, 
and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust?  In 
the  nature  of  things,  apart  from  an}^  immediate  inter- 
ference of  Deity,  righteousness  exalteth,  and  unright- 
eousness debaseth,  a  nation.  But  the  notion  so 
prevalent  among  the  Jews,  and  not  less  prevalent 
among  the  loudest-voiced  professors  of  Christianity, 
that  those  who  are  overtaken  by  great  calamities 
must  necessarily  be  great  sinners,  was  combated 
strongly  by  Jesus,  as  quite  as  dishonoring  to  his  heav- 
enly Father  as  it  was  contrary  to  his  righteous  gov- 
ernment of  the  world.  What  did  he  say  when  told 
of  the  Galilseans  whose  blood  Pilate  mingled  with 
their  sacrifices,  slaying  them  at  the  altar?  Did  he 
say  that  their  slaughter  was  a  special  judgment  from 
the  Almighty  ?     No,  indeed ;  but  he  queried  of  those 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  321 

who  were  discussing  their  terrible  fate,  "  Suppose  yo 
that  these  Galilseans  were  sinners  above  all  the  Gali- 
Igeans,  because  they  suffered  such  tlings?"  "Or 
those  eighteen  upon  whom  the  tower  i  i  Siloam  fell, 
and  slew  them,  think  ye  that  they  were  sinners  above 
all  men  that  dwell  in  Jerusalem^"  And  to  both 
questions  he  replied  with  an  indignant  negative,  say- 
ing, "Nay;  but  except  ye  repent  ye  shall  all  likewise 
perish."  It  is  only  when  men's  calamities  can  be 
clearly  traced  to  their  sin,  that  the  former  can  be 
justly  attributed  to  the  latter.  If  one  of  the  fiendish 
incendiaries  who  were  prowling  about  our  cit}^  as 
the  late  terrible  conflagration  was  mowing  down  our 
habitations,  had  been  caught  in  the  act  of  applying 
the  torch,  and  then  and  there  summarily  executed 
by  the  infuriated  multitude,  his  fate  might  have  been 
reasonably  regarded  as  the  God-awarded  penalty  of 
his  crime ;  for  in  such  a  case  the  vox  j)opuli  might 
have  been  fairly  assumed  to  be,  as  it  sometimes  is, 
the  true  expression  of  the  vox  Dei,  But  the  helpless 
condition  of  the  houseless  thousands  that  thronged 
our  flaming  streets  on  tliat  never-to-be-forgotten 
night  of  the  20th  of  June  forbade  the  conclusion  that 
they  were  suffering  specially  for  their  sins.  The 
pure  Christian  religion  rejects  such  an  idea,  not  only 
as  un-Christlike,  but  as  monstrous  and  unnatural, 
heartless  and  inhuman.     If  a  man  be  assaulted  and 


322  GREAT  FIRE  IN  !<AINT  JOHN. 

maimed  by  a  villain,  or  if  sickness  invade  his  house- 
hold, and  his  dear  ones  are  cut  off  before  his  eyes, 
shall  such  calamities  be  attributed  to  the  finger  of 
God,  specially  lifted  up  to  inflict  them?  Shall  the 
innocent  man  or  the  suffering  family  be  pointed  at 
as  an  awful  example  of  the  retribution  that  overtakes 
the  godless?  Scribes  and  Pharisees  only,  who  well 
deserve  to  be  denounced  as  hypocrites,  could  reply  to 
these  questions  in  the  affirmative. 

Are  other  cities,  where  the  fire-fiend  has  not  held 
high  carnival  as  with  us,  less  sinful  than  we  are? 
Was  it  our  wickedness  that  called  down  fire  from, 
heaven  to  consume  our  city?  Was  it  the  greater 
purity  of  its  northern  portions  that  exempted  them 
from  experiencing  the  fury  of  the  fiery  tempest? 
Did  some  good  angel  guard  the  Roman  Catholic 
cathedral,  and  drive  away  the  fire-fiend  from  its 
sacred  precincts  ? 

How  strange  that  in  this  enlightened  age,  as  we 
are  fond  of  calling  it,  men  are  just  as  much  lovers 
of  the  marvellous  as  the  superstitious  disciples  who 
asked  the  Master,  ''who  sinned,"- — the  man  blind 
from  his  birth,  "or  his  parents,  that  he  was  bom 
blind  "  ! 

In  this  age  of  scientific  wonders,  of  steam  and  elec- 
tricity, when  we  train  the  sunbeam  to  paint  our  pic- 
tures, and  harness  the  lightnings  to  the   chariot  of 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  323 

science,  that  they  may  carry  our  messages  from  one 
hemisphere  to  another  with  the  rapidity  of  thouglit, 
and  enable  us  even  to  audibly  converse  with  our  ab- 
sent friends,  is  it  not  passing  strange,  that  in  such 
an  age  as  this,  there  are  men  just  as  superstitious  as 
those  of  whom  Shakespeare,  in  his  day,  tells  us  that 
there  was 

"  No  natural  exhalation  in  the  sky, 
No  scape  of  nature,  no  distempered  day, 
No  common  wind,  no  customed  event, 
But  they  will  phick  away  its  natural  cause, 
And  call  them  meteors,  prodigies,  and  signs, 
Abortives,  presages,  and  tongues  of  heaven." 

r 

And  is  it  not  still  more  strange,  that  there  are 
to-day  ministers  of  the  gospel  who  gravel}'^  tell  us 
that  it  was  the  breath  of  God,  miraculously  applied, 
that  kindled  the  flames  of  the  recent  terrifically  de- 
structive fire  ;  that  it  was  a  judgment  sent  to  us 
direct  from  heaven,  as  though  we,  in  this  city,  were 
sinners  above  all  the  dwellers  on  the  American  con- 
tinent ?  It  would  not  be  at  all  surprising,  if  ignorant, 
half-civilized  men  were  thus  to  dub  every  great 
misfortune  a  fiery  tongue  of  heaven,  a  judgment  on 
the  stricken. 

But  to  my  view  it  is,  to  say  the  least,  most  extraor- 
dinary, that  'the  enlightened  inhabitants- of  such  a 
city  as  Saint  John  could  be  guilty  of  the  egregious 


324  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

folly  of  attributing  the  partial  destruction  of  their 
city  by  a  lire,  to  the  judgment  of  Heaven  for  the 
sins  of  the  wicked  within  its  borders,  as  if  a  just  God 
would  punish  the  innocent  with  the  guilty,  the  right- 
eous along  with  the  wicked.  If  so  be  that  the  Led 
sent  his  angel  to  destroy  our  city,  were  there  not 
even  ten  righteous  men  in  all  its  churches,  for  whose 
sake  he  would  have  recalled  the  angel  of  destruction  ? 
Has  God  forgotten  to  be  just,  as  well  as  gracious?  or 
is  Saint  John  worse  than  the  city  respecting  which 
we  read  in  the  book  of  Genesis,  that  the  Lord  said 
unto  Abraham,  '-'-I will  not  destroy  it  for  ten's  sake  "? 
Oh  !  it  is  very  sad  to  think  that  such  a  mean  idea  of 
"  the  Judge  of  the  earth  "  should  be  not  only  sanc- 
tioned, but  encouraged,  by  some  who  claim  to  be  — 
par  excellence  —  our  spiritual  leaders. 

If,  indeed,  all  that  has  occurred  within  the  last 
fortnight  could  be  reversed,  if  the  fire  had  not 
burned  the  inflammable  materials  with  which  it  came 
in  contact,  then  surely  there  would  have  been  ample 
grounds  for  supposing  that  not  the  Eternal  who  lov- 
eth  righteousness,  but  some  extraneous  power,  foreign 
to  the  universe  of  which  we  are  natives,  had  lifted  up 
his  finger  in  our  midst ;  that  we  had  been  visited  by 
some  supernatural,  supermundane,  super-celestial 
agent,  who  had  no  respect  for  the  universal  law  in 
obedience  to  which  the  flames  consumed  our  habi- 


cnuRcnES  and  si.rmons.  325 

tations.  Oh!  it  is  monstrous,  it  is  impious,  it  is 
blasphemous,  to  attribute  the  burning  of  our  city  to 
the  direct  agency  of  the  good  God,  whose  tender  mer- 
cies are  over  all  his  works.  If,  knowing  the  properties 
of  fire,  we  build  houses  of  materials,  that,  so  far  from 
offering  any  resistance  to  its  action,  actually  invite  its 
destructive  embraces,  providing  fuel  for  its  flame,  how 
can  we,  how  dare  we,  charge  upon  the  Almighty  the 
natural  consequence  of  our  o\vn  foolhardiness  ?  In 
an  open  country  where  houses  are  isolated,  and  the 
burning  of  one  does  not,  under  certain  unfavorable 
circumstances,  necessarily  involve  that  of  many,  man 
may  please  himself  in  the  building  of  his  house  ;  but 
he  has  no  right  to  do  so  in  a  populous  city,  where  the 
lives  and  property  of  thousands  may  be  jeopardized 
by  his  independent  action.  This  is  one  of  the  great 
lessons  of  the  terrible  calamity  that  has  befallen  us ; 
and  I  trust  that  we  shall  not  altogether  fail  in  reading 
it  aright,  while  it  is  my  earnest  hope  that  we  may 
embody  its  teaching  in  the  reconstruction  of  our  city. 
My  friends,  I  see  no  reason  for  despondency, 
much  less  for  despair,  in  our  present  circumstances. 
As  wrote  the  apostle,  "  We  are  cast  down,  but  not 
destroyed."  Might  I  venture  to  prophesy,  I  would 
say.  Soon  shall  the  winter  of  our  loss  be  succeeded 
bv  the  summer  of  our  cfain.  Soon  shall  our  nicrht  of 
misfortune   melt  into   the    morning   of    prosperity. 


326  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

The  brightest  flash  issues  from  the  darkest  cloud; 
and  oh,  how  beautiful  is  the  hope-tinted  bow  of 
promise  that  spans  the  horizon  of  what  seems  to  me 
to  be  our  not  far  distant  future  ! 

I  was  forcibly  struck  with  a  beautiful  passage  in 
yesterday's  "  Banner  of  Light."  "  The  heavier  the 
loss,"  said  the  writer,  treating  of  our  misfortune, 
"  the  greater  the  gain.  Burnt  districts  may  easily 
be  rebuilt ;  but  the  energetic  play  of  sympathy, 
generosity,  energy,  and  courage,  which  they  have 
evoked,  these  go  to  the  perpetual  strength  of  human 
character,  and  remain  always  to  illustrate  the  capa- 
city of  human  conduct." 

Our  great  calamity  has,  like  all  our  trials,  its 
counter-balancing  compensations.  It  has  brought 
out  in  bold  relief  the  divinest  traits  of  our  much- 
maligned  human  nature.  And  how  refreshing  it  is, 
as  I  remarked  last  Sunday,  to  be  reminded  by  the 
almost  universal  sympathy  that  our  great  misfor- 
tune has  elicited,  of  the  unselfish  benevolence,  the 
secret  springs  of  affection,  that  underlie  the  super- 
ficial selfhood  of  humanity,  so  seldom  brought  to 
light  because  it  is  only  on  such  exceptional  occa- 
sions as  that  of  the  recent  conflagration,  that  these 
emanations  of  the  divinity  that  dwells  within  us 
are  evoked  from  the  inner  depths  of  our  nature. 
Such  traits  redeem  it  from  its  littleness.     When  its 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  .       327 

depths  are  thus  stirred  by  the  angel  of  mercy,  the 
artificial  gives  place  to  the  real,  and  the  earnestness 
of  those  who  hasten  to  the  relief  of  their  suffering 
fellows  grades  all  our  petty  differences  to  the  high 
level  of  that  Christlike  charity  which  always  finds 
its  best  expression  in  alleviating  the  common  distress, 
in  sharing  each  other's  griefs,  and  in  bearing  each 
other's  burdens. 

Thus  to  do,  is  to  fulfil  the  royal  law  of  love. 
Thus  to  do,  is  to  elevate  the  human  to  the  divine,  — 
to  crown  our  manhood  with  the  glory,  honor,  and 
immortality,  which  constitute  the  inalienable  inherit- 
ance of  the  sons  of  God,  The  first  and  most  spirit- 
ual lesson  of  our  recent  calamity  is,  that  we  are  all 
brethren,  that  one  great  life  pulses  through  all  our 
veins,  that  one  common  nature  links  us  all  togeth- 
er with  the  golden  chain  of  a  common  affection,  so 
that,  if  one  member  of  the  great  human  brotherhood 
suffer,  the  pang  that  rends  his  heart  finds  a  respon- 
sive chord  in  many  another  human  breast.  We  are 
unapt  indeed  to  learn,  if  our  great  disaster  has  not 
taught  us  that,  although  we  are  many  members,  we 
are,  after  all,  but  one  body.  This  is  the  Christ  the- 
ology as  it  existed  from  the  foundation  of  the  world, 
and  as  it  was  taught  both  by  Jesus  and  by  Paul. 
Thus  we  read  in  the  first  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians 
(xii.  12),    "  As   the   body   is   one,  and   hath   many 


328  GREAT  FIRE  TN  SAINT  JOHN. 

members,  and  all  tlio  monil>ers  of  that  one  body,  be- 
ing many,  are  still  one  body,  so  also  is  the  Christ. 
For  by  one  spirit  —  the  spirit  of  love — we  are  all 
baptized,  not  with  material  water,  but  with  the 
"Water  of  the  river  of  life,  into  one  body,  and  united 
into  one  sacred  fellowship,  —  the  fellowship  of  the 
spirit  of  humanity,  which  is  truly  and  essentially 
divine." 

The  laws  which  govern  the  whole  realm  of  nature, 
and  especially  human  nature,  are  not  partial  but 
general,  not  local  but  universal,  not  of  the  earth 
earthly,  but  of  the  heavens  heavenly.  And  the 
greatest  of  all  these  laws  is  the  law  of  love.  He 
alone  is  poor  who  has  not  a  soul  to  give  to  him  that 
needeth.  He  is  rich  beyond  the  dreams  of  avarice, 
though  poor  in  the  world's  estimation,  whose  great 
soul  can  only  be  satisfied  by  sharing  with  the  needy 
the  little  that  he  possesses. 

This,  doubtless,  was  what  was   meant  by  Jesus 

when   he  said,  "  He  that  hath  two   coats,  let   him 

impart  to  him  that  hath  none."     "  Now,"  said  the 

great  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  —  "  now  abideth  faith, 

hope,  charity,  these  three  ;  but  the  greatest  of  the^e 

is  charity." 

**  One  faith,  one  hope,  one  Lord, 

One  Grod  alone,  we  know: 

Brethren  we  are ;  let  every  heart 

With  kind  affection  glow." 


CnURCHES  AND  SERyfONS.  329 

The  following  is  an  outline  of  the  sermon  preached 
in  the  Saint  John's  Church,  by  the  rector  of  the 
parish  of  Saint  Mark,  the  Rev.  G.  M.  Armstrong,  on 
the  Sunday  after  the  fire,  from  the  text,  "  I  know,  O 
Lord,  that  thy  judgments  are  right,  and  that  thou  in 
faithfulness  hast  afflicted  me  "  (Ps.  cxix.  75). 

In  preparing  to  address  you  after  the  fearful  deso- 
lation which  has  come  upon  our  city,  I  feel  quite  un- 
able to  do  so,  as  I  believe  you  are  scarcely  able  to 
give  a  continued  attention  to  any  poor  words  which 
I  might  speak  to  you  of  the  dreadful  ruin  which  has 
befallen  so  many  of  your  homes,  and  for  the  present 
at  least  has  blighted  your  fondest  prospects.  I  shall 
not  attempt,  therefore,  to  dwell  upon  the  lowness  to 
which  our  once  lofty  city  has  been  in  one  short  day 
brought,  nor  upon  how  the  more  lofty  flames  tri- 
umphed over  the  riches,  the  pride,  and  the  glory 
of  it,  showing  us  how  useless  and  vain  all  our  efforts 
must  prove,  unless  under  the  Almighty's  guardianship 
and.  care.  How  is  pride  confounded,  and  hope  even 
overthrown,  so  that  the  hearts  of  many  are  sinking 
under  the  struggle !  but,  to  those  who  look  to  God, 
He  will  in  this  terrible  hour  come  forth  and  r*^- 
awaken  their  courage,  and  strengthen  them  with 
might,  enabling  them  to  sustain  their  trial,  and  rise 
above  it.     It  may  help  you  to  do  so,  if  I  can  lead 


330  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN". 

yon  to  consider  the  Lord's  dealings  with  his  people, 
which  are  always  profitable  subjects  for  meditation, 
prayer,  and  thanksgiving.  By  his  dealings,  I  mean 
the  manner  or  the  means  by  which  we  are  brought 
to  know  his  name,  to  taste  of  his  salvation,  to  be 
directed  to  his  service,  and  trained  up  for  his  glory. 
These  dealings  are  various,  they  are  often  myste- 
rious, they  are  sometimes  most  painful ;  but  the 
object  and  result  of  them  all  is  to  bring  those  who 
are  rightly  exercised  by  them  to  know  and  love  the 
Lord.  Times  of  tribulation  are  often  blessed  to  this 
end ;  but  at  such  times  we  have  need  of  earnest 
prayer,  that  our  trials  may  be  thus  sanctified;  and 
most  suitable  in  this  respect  is  that  petition  in  our 
litany,  "  In  all  time  of  our  tribulation,  .  .  .  and  in 
the  day  of  judgment,  good  Lord,  deliver  us." 

The  Christian,  viewing  all  his  trials  as  the  dispensa- 
tion of  his  heavenly  Father,  is  perfectly  satisfied  with 
them  ;  and  instead  of  repining  and  fainting  on  the 
one  hand,  or  hardening  himself  and  affecting  to 
despise  them  on  the  other,  he  looks  at  himself  and 
his  present  circumstances  in  the  light  of  the  word  of 
God,  and,  having  arrived  at  his  conclusion,  expresses 
it  in  the  language  of  the  text,  "I  know,  O  Lord, 
that  thy  judgments  are  right,  and  that  thou  in 
faithfulness  hast  afflicted  me."  The  Bible  affords  us 
abundant  proof  of  this  blessed  assurance  on  the  part 


CHURCnES  AND  SERMONS.  331 

of  the  Lord's  people.  The  cases  of  Aaron,  Job,  Eli, 
David,  the  Shunammite,  and  Ilezekiah  were  reierred 
to  as  those  who  yielded  to  God's  appointments  in 
dutiful  silence,  being  fully  confident  of  his  wisdom 
and  goodness. 

The  souls  of  some  of  you,  who  are  now  especially 
subject  to  the  divine  chastisement  which  has  so 
recently  befallen  us,  may  sometimes  be  cast  down 
within  you,  and  you  may  be  ready  to  despair ;  you 
would  give  any  thing,  perhaps,  to  be  able  to  take  a 
bright  and  solacing  view  of  your  troubles.  Most 
earnestly,  then,  do  I  pray  —  and  will  you  not  join  me 
in  doing  so?  —  that  it  may  please  God,  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  is  the  Comforter,  to  bless  at  this  time  the 
consideration  of  the  text  before  us,  that  we  may  enter 
into  its  precious  secrets,  and  be  enabled  to  join  in 
the  pathetic  but  joyful  affirmation  of  the  Psalmist 
to  which  it  introduces  us. 

There  are  three  points  to  w^hich  I  would  especially 
draw  your  attention,  —  the  nature,  the  author,  and 
the  source,  of  the  sufferings  to  which  David  refers. 
As  to  their  nature,  he  calls  them  judgments  and 
afflictions.  In  the  former  sense  he  regards  them  as 
those  divine  arrangements  and  decrees  whereby  the 
Almighty  vindicates  his  character  and  holiness.  He 
cannot  see  his  name  dishonored,  and  his  character 
forgotten,  without  vindicating  them.     Thus,  where 


332  GREAT  FIRE  JN  SAINT  JOHN. 

sins  are  public,  there  are  sooner  or  later  public  judg- 
raents ;  while  if  committed  in  the  secret  of  a  man's 
heart,  before  God,  the  judgment  will  be  such  as  will 
mark  out  most  distinctly  God's  hatred  of  that  sin, 
clearly  enough,  at  any  rate,  to  strike  the  mind  of 
him  who  desires  the  glory  of  the  divine  character, 
and  would  see,  in  all  God's  dealings  with  him,  the 
purpose  he  has  in  view.  God's  judgments  are  in- 
tended to  convince  us  of  his  holiness,  and  to  show 
us  that  he  will  not  bear  iniquity. 

Again,  David  regards  the  sufferings  referred  to  as 
affiictions,  the  bitterness  and  painfulness  of  which 
were  very  trjdng,  and  intended  for  correction.  This, 
however,  has  nothing  to  do  with  punishment.  The 
people  of  God,  properly  speaking,  are  never  pun- 
ished, because  punishment  implies  the  exacting  of  a 
penalty ;  but  God's  people  have  no  penalty  to  pay, 
for  the  penalty  has  already  been  paid  for  them :  but 
they  may  be,  and  are,  corrected  as  a  means  of  im- 
provement, and  every  child  of  God  needs  correction 
at  times.  The  holiest  and  most  advanced  Christian 
has  many  lessons  to  learn;  nor  is  there  one  who 
would  venture  to  say  he  needs  no  correction,  not  one 
who  ever  thinks  that  he  is  sanctified  enough.  There 
is  a  need  before  such  trials.  They  are  blessings  in 
disguise.  They  are  intended  to  smite  our  lusts,  and 
develop   our  graces;    to  make   us  humbler,   wiser, 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  333 

holier,  more  grateful,  more  sympathizing ;  so  that 
we  may  well  look  up  and  say,  "  I  know,  O  Lord,  that 
thy  judgments  are  right,  and  that  thou  in  faithful- 
ness hast  afflicted  me." 

As  to  the  author  of  these  sufferings,  they  are 
attributed  by  the  Psalmist  to  the  Lord,  — "  tliy 
judgments ;  "  "  thou  in  faithfulness  hast  afflicted." 
Similar  exclamations  of  the  Old  Testament  saints 
were  here  spoken  of.  "  Is  there  an  evil  in  the  city, 
and  T  have  not  done  it  ?  "  says  God.  "  I  wi"'  smite 
her  corn,  and  wine,  and  oil;  I  will  lead  her  into 
the  wilderness, "  &c.  God  reserves  to  himself  the 
authority  to  execute  judgment  or  visit  affliction 
upon  his  creatures.  All  trial  is  his  doing.  We  need 
not  be  afraid  of  attributing  it  to  him.  It  does  not 
spring  out  of  the  ground ;  there  is  nothing  of  chance 
about  it ;  it  is  not  man's  doing,  though  men  may  be 
the  immediate  instruments.  It  matters  not  what 
means  may  be  used.  It  signifies  little  whether  it  be 
the  fiery  trial  through  which  we  have  just  passed, 
the  fearful  pestilence,  or  the  terrific  war-cry  which  is 
now  sounding  in  distant  lands :  God  uses  persons 
and  things  alike  as  his  instruments  to  fulfil  his  own 
purposes,  and  carry  out  his  own  designs.  They  are, 
however,  only  instruments  and  second  causes  ;  they 
can  go  so  far  and  no  farther;  they  are  under  the 
control  of  the  Almighty,  and  in  his  hands  his  people 


334  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

are  safe ;  they  can  look  up  to  him  as  their  heavenly 
Father,  and  in  the  language  of  our  text  refer  all  such 
things  to  him  as  their  author. 

.  Then,  as  to  the  source  of  their  sufferings,  they  are 
traced  up  in  the  text  to  the  faithfulness  of  God. 
Their  true  origin  is  to  be  found  in  God's  justice, 
wisdom,  and  faithfulness;  and  there  we  may  rest. 
Whatever  he  determines  must  be  right.  It  may  be 
very  mysterious,  very  irksome,  very  excruciating,  to 
us:  nature  may  shrink  from  it;  but  the  child  of 
God  has  implicit  confidence  in  his  Father,  so  he 
curbs  his  will,  and  orders  his  tumultuous  passions 
into  silence,  and  says,  "  It  is  right,  I  am  sure  of  it. 
I  cannot  see  the  why  and  the  wherefore  now ;  but 
God  is  his  own  interpreter,  and  in  his  own  good  time 
he  will  make  it  plain :  what  I  know  not  now,  I  shall 
know  hereafter."  Thus  David  sets  it  down  to  God's 
faithfulness,  that  he  is  afflicted.  God  would  have 
been  unfaithful,  had  he  not  afflicted  him.  Affliction 
is  a  covenant  blessing,  and  one  which  God  gives 
without  requiring  us  to  ask  for  it.  It  is  a  S23ecial 
token  of  God's  love,  and  therefore  a  matter  of 
repeated  promise,  in  the  fulfilment  of  which  the 
faithfulness  of  God  is  gloriously  displayed;  and  it 
is  by  trials  of  one  kind  or  another,  suited  to  our  vari- 
ous temperaments,  that  God  graciously  and  faithfully 
perfects  the  Christian  character  in  his  people.     Of 


CHURCHES  AND  SERMONS.  335 

this  the  Psalmist  was  assured :  he  knew  it  by  his  own 
experience,  and  so  felt  absolute  confidence  in  God. 
Here,  then,  is  joy  and  peace  in  believing,  even  in 
the  midst  of  tribulation.  We  cannot  escape  the 
waves  of  this  troublesome  world ;  but  here  we  have 
in  the  character  of  God  our  rock  and  our  high  tower, 
in  which  we  may  safely  hide.  Happy  are  they  who 
'^an  take  this  view  of  their  afflictions.  If  only  we 
can  learn  to  trust  God  as  our  Father  in  it,  then 
at  once  we  shall  receive  beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of 
joy  for  mourning,  and  the  garment  of  praise  for  the 
spirit  of  heaviness.  Then  we  shall  see  that  these 
cheerless  and  desolate  days,  these  hours  of  bitter 
tears,  come  not  by  chance,  but  are  sent  us  in  faith- 
fulness and  love. 

**  They  come  to  lay  us  lowly  and  humbled  in  the  dust, 
All  self-deception  swept  away,  all  creature  hope  and  trust; 
Our  helplessness,  our  vileness,  our  guiltiness,  to  own, 
And  flee  for  hope  and  refuge  to  Christ,  and  Christ  alone. 

They  come  to  draw  us  nearer  to  our  Father  and  our  Lord, 
More  earnestly  to  seek  his  face,  to  listen  to  his  word, 
And  to  feel,  if  now  around  us  a  desert-land  we  see, 
Without  the  star  of  promise  what  would  its  darkness  be  ?  " 

The  afflicted  Christian  does  not  envy  the  portion 
of  those  who  are  living  at  ease  in  the  indulgence  of 


336  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOUN. 

this  world's  good  things ;  nor  would  he  give  up  what 
he  has,  for  all  they  possess.  But  they,  on  the  other 
hand,  will  surely,  one  day,  grieve  over  their  folly  in 
having  neglected  his.  Their  riches  are  becoming 
poorer  every  day,  and  their  pleasures  more  insipid  ^ 
and  what  will  they  do,  and  how  will  they  appear, 
when  eternity  is  at  hand  ? 

Should  the  attention  of  any  such  here  this  morn- 
ing have  been  arrested  by  the  words  they  have 
heard,  I  would  entreat  them  to  forsake  their  lying 
vanities,  and  to  unite  themselves  with  the  true  Israel, 
who  are  journeying  to  the  better  country,  even  the 
heavenly,  and  who  drink  by  the  way  of  the  fountains 
of  living  waters.  Come  and  join  us ;  and,  though  you 
may  suffer  with  us  now,  you  shall  reign  with  us  here- 
after. Jesus  will  be  with  you  in  whatever  he  ordains 
for  you  ;  and,  once  within  those  gates  of  the  Jerusa- 
lem which  is  above,  there  shall  be  no  more  sighing 
forever,  for  God  himself  shall  wipe  away  all  tears 
from  our  eyes. 

I. beseech  you  therefore,  by  the  mercies  of  God, 
by  the  mercies  which  he  is  able  and  willing  to  dis- 
pense to  you  in  the  midst  of  your  trial,  by  all  the 
necessity  and  the  piteous  helplessness  of  souls  strick- 
en by  the  hand  of  God,  that  you  present  yourselves 
unto  him,  your  souls  and  bodies,  a  living  sacrifice. 


CHURCHES  AND   SERMONS.  337 

Give  him  your  hearts,  give  him  your  love,  give  him 
your  confidence  ;  and  so  you  will  be  enabled  humbly 
and  gratefully  to  acknowledge  the  righteousness  of 
his  "judgments,"  and  the  "faithfulness"  of  his  cor 
rections. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

MISCELLANEOUS  MATTEE3  OF  INTEREST. 

The  Newspapers  of  Saint  John.  —  Historical  Notice,  — Biographical 
Sketch  of  the  Life  of  Lieut. -Gov.  Tilley,  C.B.  —  The  Life  of  John 
Boyd,  a  Private  Citizen.  —  Examples  of  Saint  John's  sterling 
Men.  —  The  City  Government.  —  The  Fire  Department.  —  Thf> 
Insui-ance  Companies.  —  Little  "Wanderers'  Home.  —  Incidents 
of  the  Fire,  —  Conclusion. 

nr^HE  great  haste  with  which  a  work  of  this  kind 
must  be  prepared,  in  order  to  reach  the  hands 
of  the  reading  public  while  the  matter  is  still  a 
prominent  topic  of  interest,  precludes  the  possibility 
of  writing  a  book  that  would  be  as  complete  as  the 
author  might  earnestly  desire,  and  makes  it  imprac- 
ticable to  publish  a  book  in  which  there  will  not  be 
many  serious  and  manifest  errors.  But  with  a  feel- 
ing that  we  have  made  a  sincere  attempt  to  do  our 
duty,  and  believing  the  character  of  our  intentions 
will  cause  our  scrutinizing  readers  to  overlook  acci- 
dental omissions  or  mistakes,  we  shut  our  eyes,  and 
send  this  volume  out  to  take  its  place  among  those 
productions  to  the  making  of  which  there  is  no  end. 

338 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATTERS   OF  INTEREST.        330 

The  newspaper  publishers  of  Saint  Jn^n  iJufFercd 
exceedingly  :  not  only  by  the  loss  of  the  »  'dings, 
tj'pes,  and  presses,  but  by  the  destruction  v^i  all  thjir 
private  files,  libraries,  and  editorial  paraphernalia. 
Tlic  fortitude  wilh  which  they  met  those  irreparable 
losses  was  only  exceeded  by  their  enterprise  in 
getting  again  in  publishing  order.  Their  printers 
were  at  work  in  the  few  job  printing-offices  which 
were  spared;  and  their  editions  were  on  the  street 
for  sale  while  the  buildings  in  which  they  took 
refuge  were  still  clouded  with  smoke  from  the  ruins. 
A  sketch  of  the  journals  published  in  Saint  John, 
•piinted  about  a  year  before  the  fire,  furnishes  us 
with  some  interesting  information  concerning  this 
jjeculiarly  afflicted  profession. 

*•*  ••  The  Saint  John  Daily  News '  had  the  honor  of 
being  the  oldest  newspaper.  It  was  started  in  1838, 
as  a  tri- weekly  morning  paper  with  a  weekly  issue, 
by  George  E.  Fenety,  Esq.  Its  price  was  one  penny, 
—  being  the  first  penny  paper  ever  established  in  the 
British  Empire.  It  was  originally  of  about  foolscap 
size,  but  from  time  to  time  was  enlarged,  and  in 
18G3  was  the  1.  rgest  morning  paper  in  Saint  John. 
Its  founder  was  an  advocate  of  liberalism,  and  was 
especially  earnest  in  his  advocacy  of  responsible 
government,  which  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
an  accomplished  fact.     Mr.  Fenety  became  Queen's 


340  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

printer  for  New  Brunswick  in  1863,  and  placed  the 
'  News '  in  cbarere  of  Mr.  Willis  as  editor  and  fjen- 
eral  manager,  himself  still  retaining  ownership. 

"  In  December,  1865,  Mr.  Fenety  sold  the  '  News ' 
office  and  paper  to  Messrs.  Edward  Willis,  James 
Davis,  and  Stephen  Smith,  the  latter  soon  retiring ; 
after  which  the  establishment  was  conducted  by 
Willis  &  Davis  till  1872,  Mr.  Willis  still  retaining 
his  former  position  on  the  paper.  In  December, 
1868,  it  started  out  in  a  daily  issue,  in  addition  to  its 
tri-weekly  and  weekly  issues,  which  it  has  contin- 
ued till  the  present.  It  was  soon  after  enlarged  to 
its  present  size.  In  1872  Mr.  Willis  purchased  Mr. 
Davis's  interest,  and  managed  the  paper  until  July, 
1873,  when  he  gave  Mr.  Mott,  who  had  been  ac- 
countant in  the  concern  for  several  years,  an  interest 
in  the  paper  and  printing  establishment.  Mr.  Willis 
manages  the  editorial,  and  Mr.  Mott  the  business 
department. 

"  Mr.  Willis  \-  ..z  represented  the  city  and  county 
of  Saint  John  in  tiie  local  legislature  for  five  years, 
being  elected  for  a  second  term  of  four  years  at  the 
1874  election.  He  has  been  for  three  years,  and 
now  is,  a  member  of  the  New  Brunswick  govern- 
ment. The  *  News '  was  among  the  first  advocates 
of  confederation,  and  is  a  strong  supporter  of  free 
non-sectarian  schools.  It  has  three  issues,  —  a  daily, 
tri-weekly,  and  weekly. 


MISCELLASKOUS  MATTERS   OF  INTEREST.        341 

**  ^Ir.  "Willis  was  formerly  editor  of  the  *  Courier,' 
and  manager  of  the  office  when  he  left  to  assume 
charge  of  the  '  News ; '  and,  still  previous  to  that, 
was  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  '  Western  Recorder,* 
which  he  published  in  Carleton  for  several  years. 

"  Next  in  age  was  the  '  Globe,'  a  daily  evening 
paper,  which  was  started  in  1858  by  Mr.  Ross 
Woodrow.  A  few  years  previous  he  liad  been  en- 
gaged in  publishing  the  *  Morning  Times.'  News- 
papers then  were  not  published  oftener  than  tri- 
weekly, and  he  conceived  the  idea  of  publishing  the 
paper  in  a  daily  issue ;  but  as  public  opinion  was  not 
ripe  for  such  an  enterprise,  and  his  means  were 
limited,  he  failed  in  the  undertaking. 

"  In  1856  he  commenced  a  weekly  paper  called 
the  '  British  Constitution,'  which  meeting  with  a  fair 
success,  he  started  the  '  Daily  Evening  Globe,'  which 
was  in  the  interest  of  the  regular  Liberal  party, 
which  was  headed  by  Hon.  S.  L.  Tilley. 

"  After  running  it  about  two  years,  he  sold  out  to 
John  V.  Ellis  and  Christopher  Armstrong  in  Decem- 
ber, 1861.  Mr.  Armstrong  came  from  Ireland  when 
very  young,  and  learned  the  printing  trade  in  the 
*  ^Mornins:  News '  office  with  Mr.  Fenetv.  Mr.  Ellis 
is  a  native  of  Halifax,  where  he  learned  the  printer's 
trade.  He  came  to  Saint  John  about  eighteen  years 
ago,  and  served  as  reporter  on  the  editorial  staff  of 
Iho/  Morning  News  '  and  other  papers. 


342  GREAT  FIRE   IN  SAfXT  JOHN. 

"  The  '  Globe  '  occupied  premises  iit  the  corner  of 
Princess  and  Canterbury  Streets,  in  rooms  formerly 
occupied  by  the  '  Colonial  Empire '  (and  the  '  Tel- 
egraph* was  in  the  same  building),  in  November, 
18G4,  when  both  were  burnt  out ;  but  neither  lost 
an  issue.  The  office  was  then  moved  to  the  prem- 
ises recently  occupied  by  the  ^  Tribune  ; '  but  in 
May,  1871,  the  proprietors  purchased  and  moved 
into  the  spacious  building  on  Prince  William  Street, 
which  they  now  occupy. 

"  Both  being  practical  printers  as  Avell  as  writers, 
success  attended  their  enterprise ;  and  the  paper  in 
May,  1867,  was  enlarged  to  pages  of  seven  columns, 
and  in  July,  1874,  to  eight  columns,  with  proportion- 
ate increase  in  lencrth.  The  '  Globe  '  maintained 
the  political  character  with  which  it  started,  until 
the  Liberal  party  divided  on  the  question  of  confed- 
eration, when  it  sided  with  the  opponents  of  the 
confederation  polic3^  The  '  Globe '  has  a  weekly 
issue. 

*  The  Daily  Telegraph'  was  the  product  of  the 
union  of  two  papers.  Mr.  John  Livingston  in  1862 
started  the  *  Telegraph '  as  a  tri-weekly  and  weekly. 
In  June,  1864,  it  was  issued  as  a  morning  daily,  and 
continued  thus  about  a  year ;  and,  though  a  credit  to 
the  enterprise  of  the  proprietor,  proved  ahead  of  its 
time.     It  then  went  back   to  its  tri-weekly  issue. 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATTERS  OF  INTEREST.        343 

Mr.  William  Elder  started  the  '  Morning  Journal ' 
in  ]\Iay,  18G5,  as  a  tri-weekly  and  weekly.  The 
proprietors  of  the  two  papers,  conceiving  that  the 
time  had  come  for  the  permanent  establishment  of  a 
daily  morning  paper,  effected  a  union  in  18G9. 

*'  The  '  Telegraph,'  being  the  elder,  led  off  in  this 
union  ;  and  the  new  paper  was  designated  '  The 
Saint  John  Telegraph  and  ^Morning  Journal,'  with 
Mr.  Livingston  as  j)roprietor,  and  Mr.  Elder  as 
leader-writer. 

"  By  this  union  a  large  list  was  secured  for  the 
daily  ard  weekly  issues,  and  improved  machinery 
was  introduced.  But  its  journalistic  was  greater 
than  its  financial  success.  In  1871  Mr.  Livinc^ston 
sold  the  establishment  to  Mr.  Elder  at  a  pretty  high 
figure,  and  retired  from  the  paper.  The  editorial 
staff  was  then  re-organized  in  all  its  departments ; 
and  the  establishment  has  been  under  Mr.  Elder's 
sole  proprietorship  and  management  since.  In  1873 
the  compound  name  was  changed  to  the  more  simple 
title  of  '  The  Daily  Telegraph.' 

"  During  the  year  past  Mr.  Elder  was  ably  assist- 
ed by  Mr.  Livingston  in  the  editorial  department, 
till  the  latter  started  '  The  Watchman.'  Mr.  James 
liannay,  a  barrister  by  profession,  and  deeply  versed, 
in  the  history  of  the  Maritime  Provinces,  as  well  as 
in  their  staple  industries,  now  occupies  the  chief  place 


344  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

ill  ^Ir.  Elder's  staff.  Mr.  Elder  is  well  read,  and  a 
forcible  writer,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Provincial 
legislature. 

"  The  '  Telegraph '  devotes  itself  not  vinly  to  poli- 
tics, but  gives  a  large  share  of  its  attention  to  trade 
and  commerce  and  the  great  industries  of  the  city 
and  Prov'nces.  The  circulation  of  both  the  daily 
and  weekly  attests  the  fidelity  with  which  all  these 
interests  have  been  cared  for.  The  office  is  finely 
orgariized  in  its  mechanical  department,  which  is  in 
charge  of  Mr.  Hugh  Finlay  ;  and  connected  with  it 
is  a  finely  appointed  job-office,  under  the  supervision 
of  Mr,  A.  F.  Lugrin. 

"  HoUc  Timothy  W.  Anglin,  who  was  born  and 
educated  in  Ireland,  came  to  this  city  in  1848,  and 
the  next  year,  as  proprietor  and  editor,  started  the 
'  Morning  Freeman '  as  a  weekly  paper,  and  shortly 
after  issued  a  tri-weekly,  both  of  which  he  still 
continues.  Mr.  Anglin  sat  for  Saint  John  County 
in  the  New  Brunswick  Assembly,  from  1861  to  1866, 
when  he  was  defeated  on  the  question  of  confeder- 
ation. He  has  sat  for  Gloucester  in  the  Dominion 
House  of  Commons,  since  the  confederation,  being 
returned  by  acclamation  at  the  last  general  election. 
He  was  elected  speaker  in  March,  1874." 

For  the  purpose  of  giving  the  readers  of  this  vol- 


MISCELLANEOUS   MATTERS   OF  INTEREST.        315 

unio,  who  A.  ill  be  nearly  all  strangers  to  Saint  John, 
a  better  acciuaintancc  with  the  character,  enterprise, 
and  ability  of  the  people  of  Saint  John,  we  select  two 
citizens  from  the  hundreds  whose  biographies  ought 
to  be  written,  and  present  one  from  the  circle  of 
public  life  and  one  from  the  business  classes.  The 
danger  of  such  a  sketch  is  found  in  the  tendency 
among  superficial  thinkers  to  take  the  men  mentioned 
to  be  exceptions,  rather  than  examples,  which  would 
be  a  result  very  far  from  the  writer's  intention. 
Hon,  S.  L.  Tillev,  C.B.,  Lieutenant-Governor  of  New 
Brunswick,  whose  portrait  appears  on  the  first  page  of 
this  book,  was  born  at  Queen's  County  in  1818,  and 
is  now  in  his  fifty-ninth  year.  He  went  to  Saint  John 
in  1830,  and  was  engaged  in  business  there  for  nearly 
twenty  years.  In  1850  he  was  called  to  represent  the 
city  in  the  legislature ;  and  in  1854  he  was  chosen  a 
member  of  the  government,  where  he  continued  for 
eleven  years  as  a  member  of  the  executive  council, 
and  most  of  that  time  filled  the  office  of  provincial 
secretary,  being  the  leader  of  the  government.  Ho 
was  a  Liberal  in  politics,  and,  Vv'hen  in  the  legislature, 
carried  measures  for  the  extension  of  the  franchise, 
the  construction  of  a  system  of  railways,  and  other 
important  measures  bearing  upon  the  progress  of  the 
countr}'.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  delegation 
which  devised  and  cairiedout  the  confederation  of 


316  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHJ. 

tlie  Provinces,  and  assisted  in  framing  the  Consti- 
tution of  the  Dominion.  lie  was  elected  to  represent 
Saint  John  in  the  Dominion  Parliment,  and  for  six 
years  was  a  member  of  the  government  as  minister  of 
customs,  and  later  as  minister  of  finance ;  filling  the 
duties  of  each  with  great  ability  and  practical  sa- 
gacity. He  was  appointed  lieutenant-governor  in 
November,  1873,  for  the  term  which  expires  in  1878. 
This  appointment  was  received  with  satisfaction  by 
all  parties ;  and  the  numerous  banquets  given  to  him, 
in  which  all  shades  of  politics  united,  and  the  hearty 
words  of  admiration  for  his  personal  character  and. 
moral  worth  there  uttered,  were  indorsed  by  the  en- 
tire population,  with  whom  he  is  a  great  favorite. 
He  has  ever  been  an  advocate  of  temperance  princi- 
ples, and  is  the  first  governor  who  carried  his  prin- 
ciples into  Government  House,  Avhere  he  had  the 
courage  to  entertain  his  guests  of  every  degree  with- 
out violating  the  solemn  pledge  of  his  youth.  He  is 
well  known  to  many  throughout  the  United  States, 
by  his  addresses  at  public  meetings  in  various  parts, 
and  is  especially  endeared  to  the  people  of  the  North- 
ern States,  because  that  throughout  the  whole  of  the 
struG^Gcle  with  the  Rebellion  he  was  ever  the  defender  of 
the  Constitution,  and  a  firm  friend  of  the  Union  cause. 
He  is  a  forcible  and  pleasant  speaker,  a  k  en  debater, 
and,  when  roused  by  opposition,  there  are  few  who 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATTERS   OF  INTEREST.        347 

can  carry  their  audience  with  them  more  effectually. 
He  is  genial,  kindly,  sympathizing,  and  a  true  friend. 
At  the  news  of  this  great  calamit}',  he  at  once  put 
himself  in  communication  with  his  Government,  to 
devise  means  for  alleviating  the  distress,  and,  by  per- 
sonal intercourse  with  his  old  friends  and  fellow-citi- 
zens, cheered  them  in  tlieir  great  trouble.  He  was 
also  a  loser  in  the  great  fire,  but  to  what  extent 
cannot  yet  be  ascertained. 

^Ir.  John  Boyd,  a  private  citizen  of  Saint  John, 
and  a  member  of  the  prominent  mercantile  firm  of 
Daniel  &  Boyd,  presents  one  of  those  examples  of 
sterlVtig  business  integrity,  and  social  w^orth,  of  Vvdiich 
it  is  always  pleasant  and  profitable  to  write.  1 1  is 
influence  in  the  Province  of  Kew  Brunswick,  and  es- 
pecially in  the  cit}  of  Saint  John,  is  hardly  exceeded 
by  that  of  any  public  official ;  and  it  has  been  ob- 
tained by  steady  and  careful  industry,  combined  with 
an  eminent  desire,  everywhere  apparent  in  his  acts, 
to  be  useful  to  his  neighbors  and  countrymen.  He 
has  a  brilliant  genius,  which  fits  him  for  any  position, 
and  a  happy,  genial  manner  in  his  intercourse  with 
strangers,  which  secures  them  at  once  as  life  friends. 
Mr.  Boyd  is  a  native  of  the  North  of  Ireland,  and  a 
descendant  of  the  race  of  sturdy  Scottish  Presby- 
terians, so  many  of  whom  have  made  their  mark  in 
every  land.     Mr.  Boyd  is  now  fifty  years  of  age,  and 


348  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

entered  into  business  in  the  house  with  which  he  is 
now  connected,  known  as  the  "  London  House,"  in 
1838,  and  has  been  there  nearly  forty  years.  His 
partner,  Mr.  T.  W.  Daniel,  has  been  associated  with 
the  firm  forty-two  years. 

]\Ir.  Daniel  is  foremost  in  nearly  every  good  work, 
and  universally  respected  and  beloved.  He,  too,  is  a 
gentleman  in  the  highest  sense.  He  is  a  native  of 
Bedfordshire,  England.  Mr.  Daniel  was  in  Saint 
John  at  the  great  fire  of  January,  1837,  when  tlie 
South  Wharf,  Water,  and  Prince  William  Streets  were 
burned  ;  idso  at  the  great  fire  of  August,  1830,  when 
the  North  Wluirf,  Nelson  Street,  Dock  Street,  and 
Market  S(|uare  were  burned,  iuid  the  '•'  London 
House"  in  it;  and  at  the  great  fire  of  1841,  when 
Mr.  Holdsworth,  one  of  the  founders  of  his  firm,  was 
killed.  His  residence  is  at  Rockwood,  outside  the 
city,  one  of  the  most  charming  spots  in  the  Maritime 
Provinces,  laid  out  with  consummate  skill ;  one  of  the 
favorite  visiting  places  of  the  tourist  to  Saint  John, 
seeking  its  lovely  scenery. 

Mr.  Boyd  has  also  come  through  these  fires,  but 
this  of  which  we  write  has  been  the  most  severe  to 
him.  His  residence,  a  noble  brown-stone  front  on  the 
Queen's  Square,  and  one  of  the  most  elegant  and  no- 
ticeable in  all  the  city,  was  destroyed ;  and  in  it  were 
m'  ny  rare  and  valuable  works  of  art,  statuary,  paint- 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATTERS   OF  INTEREST.        349 

ings,  engravings,  &c.,  collected  by  liim  during  liis 
many  visits  to  the  Old  World.  He  also  had  one  of 
the  finest  private  libraries  on  the  continent,  not  a 
volume  of  which  was  saved. 

In  that  beautiful  home,  presided  over  by  a  wife 
who  was  almost  as  universally  endeared  to  tlie  people 
as  himself,  leading  men  from  all  parts  of  the  world 
had  been  entertained ;  and  in  it  were  to  be  found  also 
many  valuable  mementos  of  these  visits,  not  one  of 
which  has  been  saved.  The  lectures  which  Mr.  Boyd 
had  written,  and  had  delivered  in  many  parts  of  the 
Provinces,  in  the  United  States,  and  Great  Britain, 
during  thirty  years,  were  all  destroyed.  Not  a  frag- 
ment remains,  as  his  dwelling  was  burned  before  he 
knew  it,  and  while  he  was  engaged  in  attempting  to 
save  his  stock  and  warehouse.  Mr.  Boyd  used  his 
spare  hours  with  marked  advantage  to  all  around 
him ;  his  letters  of  travel  published  in  the  "  Boston 
Journal "  from  1852  to  18G9  have  been  read  by  many 
in  New  England;  and  leading  articles  on  general 
questions  in  the  press,  for  a  year  past,  were  from 
his  prolific  pen.  He  wrote  a  valuable  report  on  tlie 
railway  necessities  of  the  Province  of  New  Bruns- 
wick, years  ago.  That  report  was  adopted  by  the 
Board  of  Trade,  and  its  suggestions  carried  out. 
From  his  lectures,  readings,  and  speed  es,  he  is  said 
to  have  raised  for  public  and  private  charities  828,- 


350  GREAT  FIRE  TN  SAINT  JOHN. 

000,  besides  giving  largely  to  them  from  his  own 
meiiiis. 

He  is  a  favorite  on  the  lecture-platform,  and  his 
name  always  attracts  lars^e  audiences.  At  tlie  time 
of  the  fire  he  was  so  arranging  his  business  that  he 
should  have  more  leisure  to  give  to  literary  work, 
which  he  loved  so  Avell  and  performed  so  admirably. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  school-board  since  the 
new  law  came  into  operation,  and  was  chairman  of 
the  Saint  John  school-board,  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant trusts  in  the  city;  and  to  his  conciliatory 
method,  judicious  counsels,  and  liberal  views,  is  the 
country  largely  indebted  for  the  recent  settlement  of 
those  vexed  questions  of  difference  between  Protes- 
tants and  Catholics,  which  are  now  happily  nearly 
forgot  ton. 

Messrs.  Daniel  &  Boyd  lost  heavily  in  this  great 
fire,  but  they  were  largely  covered  by  insurance.  It 
is  said  they  wdll  receive  directly  and  indirectly,  in 
insurance,  some  §350,000  in  jold ;  their  losses  over 
their  insurance  will  probably  reach  f  20,000,  a  small 
proportion  compared  with  many.  Mr.  Boyd's  private 
losses  will  be  heavy :  he  had  only  814,000  insurance 
on  his  house,  which  with  what  it  contained  was 
worth  not  less  than  830,000.  The  sympathy  for  them 
is  universal  and  genuine ;  and  it  was  a  happy  an- 
nouncement that  they  intended  ^t   otice  to  retiild, 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATTERS   OF  INTEREST.       351 

on  the  old  spot,  the  widely-known  "  London  House/' 
We  are  told  that  one  of  the  inspectors  of  the  in- 
surance companies  who  was  settling  insurance  claims 
stated  publicly,  after  inspecting  the  books  and 
statements  of  this  house,  that  he  had  "  been  throuuli 
the  fires  of  Chicago  and  Boston,  adjnsting  claims,  but 
the  best  kept  and  moc^  correct  set  of  books  he  had 
ever  seen  w^ere  those  of  Daniel  &  Boyd."  Such  men 
as  these  are  a  necessity  to  the  growth  of  a  couutry ; 
and  such  as  these  are  many  of  the  merchants  of  Saint 
John,  Avho  will  yet  make  their  city  even  more  pros- 
perous than  in  the  past.  Mr.  Daniel  is  a  quiet,  cau- 
tious, unassuming  English  gentleman,  —  while  Mr. 
Boyd  is  a  genial,  genuine  Irishman,  always  ready  for 
a  joke,  but  ever  with  his  eye  on  business,  far-seeing 
9,nd  keen,  not  easily  daunted,  ready  for  work  at  all 
times ;  knows  wdiat  to  do  and  how  to  do  it ;  is  not 
afraid  of  taking  hold  of  the  wdiole  himself;  and  in  the 
midst  of  this  overwhelming  calamity,  while  sur- 
rounded by  all  kinds  of  people  asking  his  advice  or 
assistance,  he  was  courteous  and  kind  to  all,  the 
jjoorest  receiving  his  chief  attention,  while  on  the 
street  his  pleasant  smile  and  cheery  word  to  all  he 
meets  makes  his  presence  sought  by  all.  Tlie  Rev. 
George  M.  Grant  of  Halifax  is  said  to  have  remarked, 
on  a  public  occasion  there,  that  there  wf^re  three 
things  in  Saint  John  of  which  they  were  proud:  '"^the 


352  GREAT  FIRE   IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

Skating  Rink,  the  Victoria  Hotel,  and  John  Boyd ;  '* 
and  that  brilliant  preacher,  and  author  of  "  From 
Ocean  to  Ocean,"  might  safely  have  said  the  same  with 
regard  to  the  feeling  and  pride  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  other  Provinces  also.  Many  deserving  young  men 
of  business  capacity,  who  had  some  capital  of  their 
own,  have  been  assisted  by  them;  and  throughout  the 
Provinces  these  are  to  be  found  in  large  numbers, 
now  grown  independent,  but  who  ever  in  the  strong- 
est terms  express  their  gratitude  to  the  friends  who 
first  gave  to  them  the  helping  hand. 


The  roster  of  the  Saint  John  City  Government  at  vhe  time 
of  the  great  fire  included  the  following  ofncials  :  — 

Mayor,  Sylvester  Z.  Earle,  Esq.  ;  Recorder,  W.  II.  Tuck, 
Q.  C.  ;  Common  Clerk,  B.  Lester  Peters,  Q.  C.  ;  Aldermen, 
Michael  W.  Maher,  James  Adams,  John  K^rr,  Henry  Dulfell, 
Samuel  L.  Brittain,  H.  Adam  Glasgow,  William  Peters,  Joiia 
C.  Ferguson,  Jarvis  Wilson.  Councillors,  Elias  S.  Flaglor,  Ed- 
ward T.  C.  Knowle,  Richard  Cassidy,  Bartholomew  Coxetter, 
William  A.  Quinton,  J.  Alfred  Bing,  Thomas  B.  Harrington, 
George  11.  Martin,  Charles  Emerson.  Cifij  Chamberlain,  Wil- 
liam Sandall  ;  Clerk  to  Mayor'' i<  Office,  Hiram  G.  Betts  ;  Dejmfy 
Common  Clerk,  J.  Austin  Belyea ;  City  Engineer,  Hurd  Peters  ; 
City  Auditor,  Thomas  V.  Raymond  ;  Superintendent  of  Streets, 
James  J.  Lawlor  ;  Assessors  of  'Taxes,  John  Wilson,  Uriah 
Drake,  James  Sullivan  ;  Harbor  Master,  Charles  S.  Taylor  ; 
Harbor  Inspector,  Joseph  O'Brien  ;  Chief  Engineer  of  Fire  De- 
partment, Thomas  Marter  ;  High  Constable,  George  Stockford. 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATTERS  OF  INTEREST.        353 

The  list  of  members  of  the  Fire  Department  at  the  time  of 
the  fire  included  the  followinr^  :  — 

'  'homas  Marter,  Chief  Engineer  ;  Samuel  Punlap,  No.  1  Dis- 
trict, engineer;  George  Drake,  No.  2  District,  engineer ; 
John  Wilson,  No.  3  District,  engineer.  No.  1  Engine  :  G.  M. 
Matthews,  engineman  ;  Henry  Brazillian,  assistant  engineman ; 
Elias  Belyea,  driver.  No.  2  Engine  :  Samuel  Piercey,  engine- 
man  ;  Thomas  McChristal,  assistant  engineman  ;  John  Lane, 
driver.  No.  3  Engine  :  James  Melick,  engineman  ;  Hiram 
Webb,  assistant  engineman  ;  George  Corbett,  driver.  Hose 
Company,  No.  1  :  J.  T.  Magee,  foreman  ;  Robert  Magee, 
assistant  foreman  ;  Alfred  Carr,  AVilliam  Kee,  John  Kee,  John 
Magee,  Stephen  Munford,  William  Griffiths,  sen.,  William 
Griffiths,  jun.,  Charles  ^lagee.  Hose  Company,  No.  2  :  Wil- 
liam Neal,  driver  ;  Andrew  Lawson,  foreman  ;  William  Quig- 
ley,  assistant  foreman  ;  Joseph  Duffell,  secretary  ;  Robert  Lowe, 
William  Reed,  W.  H.  Drake,  G.  T.  Whitenect,  William  Mel- 
vin,  AVilliam  Reed,  2d,  Herbert  Spiller,  John  Robertson,  David 
Stockford,  Thomas  Rankine,  Frank  Barnes.  Hose  Company, 
No.  3  :  William  Cummings,  foreman  ;  George  Blake,  assistant 
foreman  ;  Joseph  Mason,  Robert  Torrens,  Joseph  Noble,  Sam- 
uel Laskey,  John  Knollin,  John  Shields,  Charles  Fletcher, 
George  Jackson,  Edward  Lantalum,  Dennis  Costigan.  Hook 
and  ladder  :  W.  A.  Smith,  driver  ;  John  Jackson,  captain  ; 
John  Rankine,  secretary  ;  James  Carr,  John  LeLaseur,  Wil- 
liam Bowman,  George  Baldwin,  W.  A.  !Magee  ;  driver  of  coal- 
wagon,  AValter  Welsford. 

The  insurance  companies,  who  had  losses  in  the 
fire  to  the  amount  of  nearly  seven  millions  of  dollars, 
were  very  prompt  in  adjusting  losses ;  and  several  of 


r> 


54  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 


the  more  prominent  companies  contributed  liberally 
toward  the  relief  fund.  Their  promptness  and  liber- 
ality received  the  commenaation  of  all  English- 
speaking  people.  They  nearly  all  united  in  an  agree- 
ment not  to  insure  frail  wooden  buildings,  and  thus 
contributed  very  materially  toward  the  permanent 
character  of  the  buildings  which  succeeded  those 
destroyed.  The  companies  having  the  largest  losses 
and  the  estimate  risks  are  stated  to  be  the  following:: 
Queen,  $700,000;  North  British  and  Mercantile, 
$600,000 ;  Lancashire,  $400,000  ;  Provincial,  $57,000 ; 
Liverpool,  London,  and  Globe,  $480,000 ;  Guardian, 
$400,000  ;  Canada  Fire  &  Marine,  $47,500  ;  Citizens', 
$140,000;  National,  $128,000;  Royal,  $500,000; 
Commercial  Union,  $400,000  ;  Royal  Canadian,  $350,- 
000 ;  ^Vestern,  $96,400  ;  Imperial,  $300,000 ;  iEtna, 
$220,000;  Hartford,  $190,000;  Phoenix  of  Brook- 
lyn, $60,000  ;  British  America,  $22,000  ;  Stadacona, 
$320.000 ;  Central  of  Fredericton,  $60,000  ;  Saint 
John  Mutual,  $75,000 ;  Northern,  $200,000  ;  Canada 
Agricultural,  $4,000. 

An  editorial  notice  of  the  insurance  companies 
and  their  losses,  published  in  Saint  John  soon  after 
the  fire,  contained  the  following  item  of  interest  in 
this  connection:  ''The  Maritime  Mutual  Fire  In- 
surance Company  (capital  $1,000,000)  went  up  in 
the  smoke  of  the  big  fire,  and  no  vestige  of  it  re- 


»  « 


MISCELLANEOUS  31ATTERS  OF  ISTEREST.        S^.J 

maineth.  The  premium  notes  and  assessment  Jincl 
stock-books  were  burned  up  in  the  safe,  and  tliere  i.s 
nothing  left  of  the  company  except  the  policies  in 
the  hands  of  the  insurers.  Notice  is  given  that  '  it 
has  now  ceased  altogether.'  The  fire  has  staggered 
several  of  the  companies.  The  Mutual,  which  is  a 
Saint  John  institution,  has  made  an  assessment  on 
Us  shareholders.  Tlie  Central  of  Frederic  ton  is 
taking  measures  to  meet  the  indebtedness  incurred. 
The  Provincial  of  Toronto  has  suspended  business, 
but  declares  it  will  pay  up.  The  Stadacona  is  asking 
time  from  its  creditors.  English  and  American  com- 
panies, ard  some  of  the  Canadians  too,  are  meeting 
their  liabilities,  and  proceeding  with  business." 

Those  unfortunate  people  who  insured  their  dwell- 
ings in  local  mutual  companies,  and  who  were  left 
Avith  worthless  policies,  were  the  especial  subjects 
of  sympathy ;  and  they  presented  a  numerous  class. 
Many  a  humble  home  on  leased  land  was  insured 
in  such  companies,  and  utter  destitution  followed  as 
a  consequence.  The  true  principle  of  fire-insurance 
is  seen  in  the  distribution  of  losses  as  widely  as  pos- 
sible, and  each  city  ought  to  insure  in  companies 
established  in  other  cities.  Insuring  in  ''  home  com- 
panies "  comes  too  near  the  act  of  "  insuring  our 
ov/n  property,"  which  means  having  no  insurance 
at  all. 


856  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

The  choritable  measures  adopted  by  the  Little 
Wanderers'  Home  of  Boston,  U.  S.,  were  thus  men- 
tioned in  a  daily  paper  published  in  that  city : 
''  i\Ir.  R.  B.  Graham,  agent  of  the  Baldwin  Place 
Home  for  Little  Wanderers,  arrived  home  on  Friday 
from  Saint  John,  with  a  large  company  of  poor  chil- 
dren, who  will  be  cared  for  at  the  Home  until  ar- 
rangements can  be  made  for  their  support  here.  Ten 
of  the  number  are  from  the  Protestant  Orphan  As}^- 
lum.  Among  the  others  are  four  sisters  of  a  family 
reduced  from  a  position  of  comfort  to  extreme  want. 
Three  of  them,  who  are  3'oung  women,  have  already 
found  employment  in  Boston  families,  and  another 
will  remain  at  tlie  Home.  There  are  four  children 
of  another  family,  and  three  of  another  in  the  party, 
which  numbers  twenty-six  in  all.  They  went  by 
rail,  free  tickets  having  been  given  by  tlie  European 
and  North  American,  the  Maine  Central,  and  the 
Eastern  Railroads.  At  Bangor  the  children  were 
furnished  with  refreshments  by  Mr.  Nye,  keeper  of 
a  restaurant  in  the  Maine  Central  Depot,  and  Mr.  J. 
L.  Crosby,  city  treasurer,  was  at  hand  looking  after 
the  wants  of  the  little  ones.  The  depot-master  at 
Vanceboro',  Mr.  Robinson  of  Saint  Andrews,  and 
the  conductor  on  the  European  and  North  American 
Railway,  also  aided  in  providing  food  for  the  party. 
Saint  John  and  othe}?  places  in  the  Provinces  have 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATTERS  OF  INTEREST.        S;*)? 

contributed  liberally  for  the  support  of  the  Baldwin 
Place  Home  in  former  years;  and  its  managers  cheer- 
fully volunteered  to  open  the  doors  of  the  house  at 
this  time." 

A  prominent  gentleman  of  Saint  John,  in  a  letter 
to  the  author,  mentioned  the  following  incidents  of 
the  great  disaster :  — 

A  resident  on  Queen's  Square  sent  her  little  son, 
aged  nine  years,  for  help.  When  he  had  gone  a 
short  distance,  he  was  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  the 
burning  houses  ;  the  firemen  poured  water  on  him, 
and  he  continued  on  his  way,  and  accomplished  his 
mission. 

When  asked  why  he  went  on  under  such  circum- 
stances, his  reply  was  worthy  of  a  true  soldier  :  "•  ]My 
mother  sent  me  ;  and  I  had  to  do  what  she  told  me." 

Everywhere  one  hears  incidents  illustrative  of  the 
couraGce  and  d'^votion  of  the  noble  women.  We  can- 
not  recall  tliem  all ;  but  after  depicting  scene  after 
scene,  every  husband  praising  his  wife  as  the  best, 
they  would  end  with  the  exclamation,  "  No  use  talk- 
ing: :  one  woman  is  worth  six  men  at  a  time  like 
this."  And  it  was  so ;  for  when  strong  men  were 
quivering-  before  the  blast  of  this  terrible  whirlwind 
of  disaster,  and  almost  sinking  under  the  weight  of 


358  GREAT  FIRE  IN  SAINT  JOHN. 

their  losses,  these  brave  women  would  cheer  thom 
with  their  hopeful  words,  "  Never  mind :  we  are 
saved  to  eaeh  other,  and  what  more  need  we  care 
for?"  Had  these  been  the  words  of  enthusiastic 
young  lovers,  one  could  have  understood  them  ;  but 
they  were  the  utterances  of  many  a  one  going  down 
the  hill  of  age,  and  who  had  not  the  energy  which 
nerved  their  hands  in  the  years  gone  by. 

Among  the  applicants  for  relief,  one  receiving  an 
order  for  a  barrel  of  flour  stopped  to  ask  the  ques- 
tion, "  Shure,  and  wud  yez  be  plaised  to  till  me  what 
brand  it  is  to  be  ?  " 

Another  says,  *'  They  till  me  that  there's  to  be  a 
thousand  dollars  for  ivery  man  that  was  burned  out ; 
and,  feth,  whin  I  wint  down  for  my  share,  all  that  I 
got  was  only  a  dhurty  matthress." 

Such  are  some  of  the  applicants ;  but  among  others 
would  be  seen  the  tenderly  reared  lady,  who  had 
every  comfort  in  her  beautiful  home,  now  reduced  to 
the  hard  necessity  of  begging  for  the  supply  of  her 
daily  wants  and  for  a  little  clothing,  having  lost  all 
but  the  garments  in  which  she  stood  before  them. 

Thus  ends  our  story  of  the  great  fire  in  Saint 


MISCELLANEOUS   MATTERS   OF  INTEREST. 


3,09 


John.  And  if  other  similar  disasters  shall  bo 
averted  by  the  lessons  whieh  the  foregoing  j)age3 
teach,  and  if  tli^  sympathy  and  aid  for  the  unfortu- 
nate but  brave  inhabitants  of  the  devastated  city 
shall  be  extended  or  strengthened  hereby,  the  higli- 
est  purpose  of  the  author  will  have  been  gained,  and 
he  will  feel  that  his  efforts  herein  contained  were 
not  without  their  measure  of  success. 


